- Greece impounded the Iranian-flagged Lana, previously Pegas, with 19 Russian crew men on board in April.
- Iran retaliated angrily after the cargo was seized, with Iranian marines arresting two Greek tankers in the Gulf.
- Both ships were eventually released.
Following a Greek court judgement quashing the original order to confiscate an oil cargo off the coast of Greece, Iran’s envoy to Athens stated on Thursday that Iran expects the cargo to be returned in full.
Due to European Union sanctions, Greece impounded the Iranian-flagged Lana, previously Pegas, with 19 Russian crew men on board on the island of Evia in April.
Due to issues with the ship’s ownership, it was released. Following the initial Greek court order, the US confiscated part of the Iranian oil shipment onboard and transferred it to another ship in May.
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The judgement of the Greek court to overturn that ruling has yet to be made public.
“The Greek Court of Appeals will reverse the initial court verdict on the confiscation of Iranian oil and… the entire oil shipment will be returned,” announced Ambassador Ahmad Naderi on the embassy’s Twitter account.
Iran retaliated angrily after the cargo was seized, with Iranian marines arresting two Greek tankers in the Gulf last month after Tehran threatened “punitive action” against Athens.
Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, said on Thursday that the country had demonstrated its ability to stand up to “bullies.”
“They took our ship like bullies. We seized two of Iran’s ships, proving that the age of “hit and runs” is finished. How many times do you want to put the Iranian people to the test?, “Raisi stated in a statement.
When asked if the recent judicial judgement could pave the way for the release of the two Greek tankers and their crews, Greek government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said the country’s justice system was independent.
“First and foremost, we have not linked the two instances from the beginning. The actions of the Iranian military in relation to the tankers were completely unwarranted and unprovoked. Second, our country’s court system has demonstrated its independence “He informed reporters about it.
Two weeks after British authorities detained an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar, accusing it of carrying oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions, Iran seized a British tanker near the Strait of Hormuz in 2019. Both ships were eventually released.
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