EuropeMiddle EastTankers

Tanker rift between the UK and Iran escalates

The tanker rift between the UK and Iran is escalating. Police in Gibraltar have arrested the Indian captain and chief officer of the detained Iranian Grace 1 VLCC accused last week of violating EU sanctions on Syria.

Documents and electronic devices were also seized from the vessel, while Iran has demanded the ship and its crew are freed immediately.

The arrests come after Iranian boats tried to seize a BP Shipping tanker in the Gulf this week.

Iran today called on Britain once again to immediately release the Grace 1 with a foreign ministry spokesman in Tehran saying: “This is a dangerous game and has consequences … the legal pretexts for the capture are not valid … the release of the tanker is in all countries’ interest.”

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.

Comments

  1. Iran has succeeded in removing the mask of Europe, which hides behind the savagery of the Middle Ages, Europe is still today, just a scoundrel of Washington and the Jewish lobby.

  2. So the threat to merchant shipping is now more likely to come from a couple of the IMO member states rather than from terrorists.Time to amend to the ISPS Code and the Ships’ Security Assessments.

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