A Greek court overturned an earlier court ruling that allowed the confiscation by the US of part of a cargo of Iranian oil on an Iranian-flagged tanker off the Greek coast.
As Reuters reports, the incident had led to an angry response by Iran, with Iranian forces seizing two Greek tankers in the Gulf after Tehran. What is more, Iran had also appealed the original court decision.
It was not immediately clear if the US or Greek governments would challenge the ruling, which was given in the Appeals court of the region of Chalkis.
Earlier, Greece had called Iran’s seizure of the two Greek tankers in the Gulf “piracy”. The case took place when Greek authorities in April impounded the Iranian-flagged Lana, formerly Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, near the coast of the southern island of Evia due to European Union sanctions.
The ship was soon released due to complications regarding its ownership. The United States in May confiscated part of the Iranian oil cargo held onboard and transferred it to another ship, following the initial Greek court ruling.
After that, The Delta Poseidon and Prudent Warrior were seized by the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Persian Gulf last week, with the Greek Merchant Marine Minister Ioannis Plakiotakis describing the incident as a threat to the security of shipping and commerce.
