LONDON — The authorities in Gibraltar on Thursday detained a supertanker that they said was carrying crude oil to Syria, a violation of European Union sanctions against Syria. Spain said the vessel had been detained at the request of the United States, and Iran summoned the British ambassador over what a Foreign Ministry spokesman called an “illegal” seizure. American and British officials had no immediate response on Thursday. Shipping experts said that the tanker, the Grace 1, appeared to be carrying Iranian cargo in the Strait of Gibraltar, in an apparent attempt to circumvent United States sanctions imposed by President Trump to choke off Iran’s exports of oil and petrochemical products. Companies that monitor international shipping say that the vessel turned off its electronic tracking devices as it sailed into Iranian waters, then turned them on again after leaving — a tactic often used to evade the sanctions, though ships can still be followed through satellite photography.

Source: New York Times July 04, 2019 11:56 UTC