US issues warrant to seize Grace 1 Iran oil tanker

SANAA, Aug. 17 (YPA) – The US Justice Department issued on Friday a warrant to seize an Iranian oil tanker detained in Gibraltar, a day after the Gibraltar authorities allowed the detained ship to sail.
A US court issued a detention warrant for the Iranian tanker Grace 1 and the oil cargo on board on flimsy charges.

The “Grace 1” was carrying 2.1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil.

The warrant states that the tanker and all the oil it carries are subject to forfeiture based on violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), bank fraud statute, and money laundering statute, as well as separately the terrorism forfeiture statute.

This comes after the release of the tanker by the authorities of Gibraltar, which was detained in early July, accusing it of violating the European sanctions regime against Syria.