Britain Offers to Release Seized Iranian Oil Tanker

Britain is offering to release Grace 1, the seized Iranian oil tanker, if Iran can provide proof the ship is not transporting oil to Syria, United Kingdom Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt said July 13. The ship was originally seized by Gibraltar Port and Law Enforcement on July 4 after British authorities suspected it of shipping oil to Syria, which would have violated European Union sanctions (see 1907080022). The ship was seized in Gibraltar territorial waters.

Hunt, who said he spoke to Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif about the tanker, said the U.K. would release the ship “if we received guarantees” it would not be traveling to Syria. “Was told by FM Zarif that Iran wants to resolve issue and is not seeking to escalate,” Hunt said in a statement on Twitter.

In an effort to find proof of the ship’s ultimate destination, the U.K. will likely inspect the ship’s cargo documents and computer, and interrogate its crew, according to a July 11 post from Crowell & Moring. If authorities find evidence the ship was bound for Syria, the U.S. may intervene and “use the civil asset forfeiture procedure to seize the vessel,” the post said. The U.S. took similar action when it seized a North Korean cargo ship detained by Indonesia in May for violating U.S. and international sanctions, the post noted (see 1905090030).

The seizure and subsequent discussions between the U.K. and Iran came amid tensions relating to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and Iran’s recent announcement that it had breached the deal’s stockpiling limit of enriched uranium. Iran said it surpassed the limit on July 7, sparking concern from the European Union and the U.S. (see 1907080019). Further breaches of the deal could lead to snapback sanctions imposed by the EU and additional U.S. sanctions (see 1907030048).

Hunt attended the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council on July 15 to “reinforce UK concerns about Iran’s reduced JCPoA compliance,” the U.K.’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a July 14 press release. In statements on Twitter, Hunt said “we want to reduce not raise tensions over Grace 1,” and stressed JCPOA compliance. “We support nuclear deal but there can be no ‘partial’ compliance. You are either on path to a nuclearised Middle East or not,” Hunt said in a July 15 tweet.