US ‘seizes’ Iranian oil shipment in Greek waters
The Iranian-flagged tanker Lana was seized near a Greek island as part of EU sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine conflict.
The Liberian-flagged tanker Ice Energy transfers crude oil from the Iranian-flagged tanker Lana (former Pegas), off Karystos, Evia Island, Greece. (Reuters)
The United States confiscated a cargo of Iranian oil held on a Russian-operated vessel near Greece and will send the cargo to the United States on another vessel.
Three sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday that the ship had been seized as part of EU sanctions against Russia for the offensive in Ukraine.
However, the vessel was later released due to confusion over the penalties imposed on its owners.
The tanker, renamed Lana on March 1 and flying the Iranian flag since May 1, has since remained near Greek waters. It was previously under the Russian flag.
A source at Greece’s shipping ministry said on Thursday that the US Justice Department had “informed Greece that the ship’s cargo was Iranian oil.”
“The cargo was transferred to another vessel which was leased by the United States,” the source added, without providing further details.
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The US Department of Justice seized a shipment of Iranian crude from the Russian-flagged tanker Lana in Greek waters and hired a vessel to bring it to the United States, @DowJones reported.
“The cargo came from a sanctioned country and traveled on a sanctioned vessel,” a Greek official said.— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) May 25, 2022
Strong objection from Tehran
The development comes after the United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on what it described as a Russian-backed oil smuggling and money laundering ring for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Al-Quds Force. , even as Washington tries to revive a nuclear deal with Iran.
The confiscation was confirmed by another Western source familiar with the matter, who added that the cargo had been transferred to the Liberian-flagged tanker Ice Energy operated by Greek shipping company Dynacom.
A source at Dynacom confirmed that an “oil transfer is underway from the vessel to Dynacom’s Ice Energy, which will then sail to the United States”.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported on Wednesday that its foreign ministry had summoned the charge d’affaires of the Greek embassy in Tehran following the seizure of cargo from a ship that was ” under the banner of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Greek waters and he was aware of the strong objections” of the Iranian government.
Last month, Greek authorities seized the Iranian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, near the coast of the southern island of Euboea due to EU sanctions.
President Joe Biden’s administration has engaged in indirect talks to revive a 2015 deal that former President Donald Trump scrapped, under which world powers lifted international financial sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program .
As talks appeared poised to resuscitate the nuclear deal in March, they stalled on last-minute Russian demands and whether Washington could remove the Revolutionary Guards from its terrorism list.
Washington’s envoy for Iran said on Wednesday that the chances of reviving the nuclear deal were shaky at best and that Washington was ready to step up sanctions against Iran.
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Source: Reuters