Iran’s ‘Grace’ freed

Gibraltar’s Supreme Court yesterday ruled in favour of releasing an Iranian supertanker seized on suspicion of shipping oil to Syria in breach of international sanctions. The Grace 1 “is no longer subject to detention”, Chief Justice Anthony Dudley said in court. The decision came after Gibraltar’s government said it had received written assurances from Iran that the Grace 1 would not be headed for countries “subject to European Union sanctions”.

“There are no longer reasonable grounds to suspect that the detention of the Vessel is required,” chief minister Fabian Picardo said in a statement. Hours before the announcement, the US launched a last-minute legal move demanding that the British overseas territory detain the ship. The move had delayed the court decision on the vessel’s fate but Judge Dudley said during his ruling that he had not received a written request from US. However, Washington can make another bid for the supertanker’s detention as long as the vessel has not left Gibraltar’s waters. 

The Grace 1, carrying 2.1 million barrels of Iranian oil, was seized by Gibraltar police and British special forces on July 4, provoking a diplomatic crisis. It was suspected of carrying the crude oil to war-torn Syria in violation of separate EU and US sanctions. Tehran retaliated by seizing a British tanker, the Stena Impero, on July 19 in the strategic Strait of Hormuz -- the conduit for much of the world’s crude -- for breaking “international maritime rules”.

Tehran repeatedly called for the release of Grace 1, insisting it had been in international waters and not headed to Syria. Iranian authorities believe Britain detained the ship at the behest of US President Donald Trump’s administration.