Jalil Eslami, the deputy head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization, said on Tuesday that Britain “is interested” in releasing the Grace 1 tanker.
IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK
“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,” IRNA news agency cited Eslami as saying, according to Reuters.
Speaking at a press conference, Eslami, said the UK is going to let Iran’s supertanker go.
“They (the UK officials) have voiced willingness for the resolution of the problem,” he stated.
He said the Iranian oil tanker will soon be released and resume sailing freely with the flag of Iran.
Eslami did not make clear what those documents are.
Fars news agency on Tuesday tweeted a photo of the Grace 1 alongside the caption: “According to government consultations, we expect to continue operating in the international waters with the Iranian flag in the very near future,” adding that “an informal exchange to resolve the issue” was underway.
The Royal Marines seized the Grace 1 off the British territory of Gibraltar on July 4 after the tanker was accused of transporting oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.
Meanwhile a highly placed Gibraltar government source denied on Tuesday an Iranian news agency report which said the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1 would be leaving the British overseas territory on Tuesday.
A senior Gibraltarian government source said that report was not correct.
Meanwhile, Britain said on Tuesday that investigations into the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1 were a matter for Gibraltar.
“The investigations being conducted around the Grace 1 are a matter for the government of Gibraltar,” a Foreign Office spokesman said. “As this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment further.”
- source : Iran news
