Iran says tanker freed by Gibraltar preparing to set sail

An Iranian tanker seized by Gibraltar last month is preparing to set sail after being released, a senior Iranian shipping official said Friday.

The ship's seizure on July 4, with the help of British Royal Marines, triggered a sharp deterioration in relations between Tehran and London and the tit-for-tat detention by Iran of the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero.

The Grace 1 will be renamed and switch to the Iranian flag for its onward journey, the deputy head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organisation, Jalil Eslami, told state television.

"At the owner's request, the Grace 1 will depart for the Mediterranean after being reflagged under the Islamic Republic of Iran's flag and renamed as Adrian Darya for the voyage," Eslami said.

"The ship was of Russian origin and Panama-flagged and is carrying two million barrels of Iranian oil," he added.

But a source with knowledge of the case told the Gibraltar Chronicle daily that the tanker is unlikely to set sail before Sunday.

"Six seafarers including a master will arrive on Sunday," the source said on condition of anonymity. "The ship is unlikely to sail before then."
"The tanker's destination was not Syria... and even if it was, it did not concern anyone else."