Iran agreed to release the crews of two Greek tankers it seized in May in response to the confiscation of oil by the US from an Iranian-flagged tanker in Greece.
The crews will be replaced, allowing their return to their countries of origin soon, the PENEN union for seafarers on commercial ships said. However, it is not clear whether the two Greek tankers would be released.
In fact, at the beginning of the week, the Greek shipping minister confirmed that one Delta Poseidon crew member was returning to Greece.
As for Iran, its foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser KanaanI could not confirm the information about the release of crew members but said he hoped “there would be positive developments in the future”.
According to Reuters, a Greek official said the effort to free the crews was in progress but the release of the tankers would take longer than the replacement of the crews.
The Iranian-flagged tanker Lana, formerly Pegas, was seized by Greece in April and was held for months. The US had confiscated part of its oil cargo because of sanctions on Iran.
The removal of oil from the Lana prompted Iranian forces in May to seize two Greek tankers in the Gulf and sail them back to Iran. Lana, which had engine problems, was officially released in July.
Anchored off the Greek port of Piraeus since then, it has retrieved the oil cargo that the United States had confiscated and is expected to sail back to Iran.
Nearly four months in captivity, and Iran may permanently keep the two tankers. One can only hope that Greece has learned its lesson. Politically and strategically, this was a decisive victory for Iran.