UK’s Prime Minister Theresa May will meet with Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo on July 17, aiming to discuss the detained Iranian oil tanker Grace 1. In addition to the tanker, Ms. May and Mr. Picardo will also discuss Brexit. British Royal Marines captured the oil tanker in Gibraltar on June 27, after being accused of bringing oil to Syria, thus breaching EU sanctions.
An Israeli NGO asked a court in Gibraltar to seize and sell the Iranian-controlled tanker Grace 1 to please a US court judgement. The vessel was seized on July 4 by the UK Royal Marines while passing near Gibraltar.
The Iranian supertanker ‘Grace 1’, that was seized by Royal Marines near Gibraltar over suspected breach of EU sanctions earlier in July, could be released if the UK is guaranteed the oil is not bound for Syria, said UK Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.
As Reuters reports, Panama’s Maritime Authority that after Grace 1 was seized by British Royal Marines in Gibraltar, they de-listed it from Panama’s international boat registry as of May 29. The Panamanian Authority highlighted that Grace 1 was de-listed after receiving an alert indicating that the ship had participated in or was linked to terrorism financing.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) updated its Advisory to the maritime petroleum shipping community, to highlight risks associated with shipments to Syria. This advisory updates a previous one on 20 November 2018.
The Greek Coast Guard confiscated six tons of cannabis and about three million “Captagon” amphetamine pills, inside a Syrian freighter, in the Port of Heraklion, Crete. The ship was heading to Libya and was intercepted by off Crete on December 5.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued an advisory notice concerning the risks of transporting petroleum shipments to Syria. OFAC warns that such actions could breach U.S. sanctions.
The London P&I Club reminded operators that both the European Union and US are applying trade sanctions against Syria. These include prohibitions on the transport of crude oil and petroleum products from Syria, as well as restrictions on Syria’s oil and gas and electricity generating industries amongst a number of other measures.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has identified nine targets in an international network through which Iran, working with Russian companies, provide barrels of oil to Syria. According to the US, a Syrian national and his Russia-based company delivered oil from Iran to Syria.
President Trump signed, on March 7, a new Executive Order entitled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States”, which bans the entry to US for crewmembers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, unless they hold valid visas prior to March 16th. Also, they will not be able to obtain visas, until 90 days after March 16th.
