Viewers Corner News correspondent in London learned that Iran’s supertanker Grace 1 which the United States applied to seize has been released by Gibraltar on Thursday, 15 August 2019. Iran’s Grace 1 supertanker was seized last month in the British territory of Gibraltar for breaching European Union sanctions on oil shipments to Syria. The United States applied to stop the release of the vessel (Iranian supertanker Grace 1). Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar Chief Minister said that provisions under the European Union’s sanctions regulations ended on Thursday after the Iranian government wrote and assured him that the vessel will not send its 2.1 million barrels of crude to Syria. The European Union and United Nations sanctioned and imposed restrictions against President Assad’s government and its supporters. The restrictions include freeze of Syria’s central bank’s assets in the European Union, an oil embargo, limits on certain type of investments, travel bans and the freezing of assets of 269 individuals and 69 entities including Banyas refinery where the Iran’s supertanker Grace 1 was heading on July 4 as alleged when it was seized in a British Royal Navy operation in Gibraltar. After the Grace 1 was seized, Iran also seized Stena Impero (the British-flagged oil tanker) which our correspondent learned may be released by Iran as Grace 1 had been freed.
Source: Viewers Corner News.