Gibraltar rejects US pressure to hold Iranian oil tanker

MADRID: Authorities in Gibraltar say they have rejected a renewed request from the US to not release an Iranian supertanker.

The vessel has been detained for over a month in the British territory for allegedly attempting to breach European Union sanctions on Syria. In a statement on Sunday, Gibraltar’s government said the ship would be free to go, as US sanctions on Iran have no equivalent in the UK or the rest of the EU.

The US had unsealed a warrant on Friday to seize the vessel, a day after Gibraltar lifted the ship’s detention. The vessel remains at anchor off Gibraltar, laden with 2.1 million barrels of Iranian light crude oil. A new crew is expected to arrive and sail the tanker to an undisclosed destination.