Gibraltar Seeking to De-Escalate Tensions with Iran
Gibraltar said on Tuesday it was seeking to
de-escalate tensions with Iran following the impounding of the Grace 1 tanker.
British Royal Marines seized the Iranian oil tanker
on July 4 off the coast of the British Mediterranean territory of Gibraltar on
suspicion of violating EU sanctions by taking oil to Syria, which Tehran
denies.
“We continue to seek to de-escalate issues arising
since the lawful detention of Grace 1,” a spokesman for Gibraltar said.
The current detention order on the vessel expires on
Saturday night, the spokesman said.
Earlier, Iran said Britain might free the Grace 1
soon, after some documents were exchanged that would help the seized ship’s
release.
“Britain is interested in releasing Iran’s oil
tanker Grace 1 ... following the exchange of some documents, we hope the
release will take place soon,” the deputy head of Iran’s ports and Maritime
Organization, Jalil Eslami, said in remarks reported by IRNA news agency.
Two weeks after the capture of the Iranian tanker,
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized a British tanker, Stena Impero, near the
Strait of Hormuz, accusing it of marine violations.
Britain considers that action to have been illegal
retaliation.
