DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran has made no commitments to gain the release of its tanker from detention in Gibraltar, an Iranian government spokesman was quoted as saying on Friday, reiterating that Grace 1 was never bound for Syria as alleged by its captors.
Fabian Picardo, chief minister for the British territory, said the detention order was lifted after written assurances from Tehran that the ship would not discharge oil in Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.
“Iran has made no commitment for the release of the Grace 1 tanker. As we said earlier … Syria was not its destination and we have upheld the same … and reiterated that it was nobody’s business even if it was Syria,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.
Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne
Iranian oil tanker Grace 1 sits anchored awaiting a court ruling on whether it can be freed after it was seized in July by British Royal Marines off the coast of the British Mediterranean territory, in the Strait of Gibraltar, southern Spain, August 15, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
