Iran sells oil from tanker released by Gibraltar

The oil from an Iranian tanker at the heart of a standoff between Washington and Tehran has been sold, the Iranian government announced on Monday.

Government spokesman Ali Rabiei did not identify who bought the 2.1 million barrels of crude oil estimated to be worth $130 million (€117 million).

He added that the buyer of the oil will now decide the ship's destination.

After being blocked from docking in Greece, the vessel had been headed to Turkey over the weekend, although it is not clear whether it will stop there.

The ship is still currently in the Mediterranean Sea and heading east.

US trying to seize tanker

The Adrian Darya 1, previously called Grace 1, was detained for weeks by the British Royal Marines off Gibraltar after authorities seized the vessel on suspicion of violating European Union sanctions with Syria.

The ship was released in mid-August, but the US is still trying to seize it and has warned other nations in the region not to assist it.

US President Donald Trump's administration has said it will take action to prevent the Adrian Darya 1 from delivering oil to Syria.

They also claim that the tanker is controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which Washington has dubbed a terrorist organization.

Iran said that any move by the US to detain the Adrian Darya 1 again would have "heavy consequences." 

rs/rc (AP, Reuters)

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