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THENS/LONDON: The USA has confiscated an Iranian oil cargo held on a Russian-operated ship close to Greece and can ship the cargo to the US aboard one other vessel, three sources aware of the matter mentioned.
Greek authorities final month impounded the Iranian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, close to the coast of the southern island of Evia because of EU sanctions.
They mentioned the ship was impounded as a part of EU sanctions on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. Nonetheless the vessel was later launched because of confusion about sanctions over its homeowners.
The tanker, renamed Lana on March 1 and flying the Iranian flag since Could 1, has remained close to Greek waters since then. It was beforehand Russian-flagged.
A supply at Greece’s transport ministry mentioned on Thursday that the US Division of Justice had “knowledgeable Greece that the cargo on the vessel is Iranian oil”.
“The cargo has been transferred to a different ship that was employed by the US,” the supply added, with out offering additional particulars.
The event comes after the US on Wednesday imposed sanctions on what it described as a Russian-backed oil smuggling and cash laundering community for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Pressure, at the same time as Washington tries to revive a nuclear take care of Iran.
US officers didn’t reply to requests for remark.
The confiscation was confirmed by a separate Western supply aware of the matter, who added that the cargo was transferred onto the Liberia-flagged tanker Ice Power, which is operated by Greek transport firm Dynacom.
A supply at Dynacom confirmed {that a} “switch of the oil was underway from the vessel to Dynacom’s Ice Power, which is able to then sail to the US”.
Iran’s IRNA state information company reported on Wednesday that its overseas ministry summoned the cost d’affaires of Greece’s embassy in Tehran following the seizure of the cargo of a ship which was “underneath the banner of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Greek waters and he was knowledgeable of the robust objections” of Iran’s authorities.
Greek authorities officers couldn’t verify the knowledge.
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