Washington has issued a warrant to seize the supertanker Grace 1, which was detained last month on suspicion of hauling Iranian oil to Syria in contravention of European sanctions.
The complaint states that “Oil tanker Grace 1, all petroleum aboard it and US$995,000 are subject to forfeiture,” the US Department of Justice said in a statement.
It is part of a “scheme to unlawfully access the US financial system to support illicit shipments” of oil from Iran to Syria in violation of US sanctions, money laundering and terrorism statutes, it added.
Photo: Reuters
The vessel, which is anchored off the coast of Gibraltar, is at the center of a diplomatic spat between the UK and the US.
The US has threatened to impose sanctions on anyone dealing with the ship and expressed disappointment with the UK after a court in Gibraltar ruled that the ship was free to sail.
Ports, banks and anyone else who does business with the ship or its crew might be subject to penalties, two US officials said.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Twitter that the ship’s detention was unlawful.
While the cargo was originally bound for Syria, Iran has provided assurance that this is no longer the case, the Gibraltarian government said in a statement on Friday.
“The evidence is clear and the facts speak louder than the self-serving political statements we are hearing today,” the statement said without specifying the comments to which it was referring.
The court’s decision on Thursday to release the Grace 1 was a missed opportunity, and Washington hopes that London and authorities in Gibraltar would reconsider, US officials said, asking not to be identified discussing private deliberations.
The court order rewards Iranian terrorism and Tehran would interpret the action as appeasement, they added.
It is not clear when the Grace 1 would set sail. It is anchored off the coast of Gibraltar, where it has been since British forces seized it last month on suspicion of violating trade sanctions. At the time, the US Department of Justice had not filed the appropriate action to block the vessel’s release, Gibraltar’s Supreme Court said on Thursday.
US officials said that the UK should think of the tanker issue in terms of the broader relationship with the US, particularly as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government presses forward with departing the EU and seeks a free-trade agreement with the US.
While the people would not say whether the release threatens prospects for that deal, they added that the UK should ask if it wants to do business with the US or Iran.
Gibraltar’s decision to release the ship essentially sets up a race between Iran and the US over its fate.
Gibraltar’s chief minister said the case might return to a court in the territory if proceedings are brought forward by the US.
Following the Grace 1’s detention on July 4, Iran seized a British-flagged vessel, the Stena Impero, which it continues to hold.
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that there was no connection between Gibraltar’s enforcement of sanctions and Iran’s activities at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
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