Iran ‘sold oil’ from tanker released by Gibraltar – spokesman

26 Aug, 2019 12:03 / Updated 5 years ago

Iran has sold the oil from a tanker released by Gibraltar after weeks in the custody of British Royal Marines, an Iranian government spokesman said on Monday, according to IRIB news agency. The vessel’s owner will decide on its next destination, the report said.

Data showed on Monday that the tanker was no longer recorded as bound for Turkey and its location is currently south of mainland Greece, west of the island of Crete.

The spokesman did not identify the recipient of the oil carried by the ‘Adrian Darya’ tanker. After Gibraltar freed the vessel on August 18, the US warned it would take every action it could to prevent it delivering oil “to Syria” in contravention of US sanctions.

Tehran also announced that it had deployed a naval destroyer with cruise missiles to help secure Iranian ships, Reuters reports.