Jul 19, 2019, 4:27 PM

UK detention of Iran tanker extended despite promises for release

UK detention of Iran tanker extended despite promises for release

TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) – Gibraltar’s supreme court has extended the illegal detaining of the Iranian oil tanker Grace for another 30 days until Aug. 15, the Gibraltar Chronicle said.

The paper said Gibraltar’s Attorney General, Michael Llamas, had confirmed the decision, according to Reuters.

This is while Gibraltar called Thursday's talks with Iran over the illegal seizure of the Iranian oil tanker as ‘constructive’. 

In a meeting in London on Thursday, Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Iranian officials “discussed matters related to the detention of Grace 1,” Press TV reported. After the meeting, a senior Gibraltar's official described the talks as 'constructive' and 'positive' as both sides sought to “de-escalate all aspects of the issues arising”.

Iran has called for the immediate release of the tanker, warning that the UK's illegal action would not be left unanswered.

Last weekend, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif held a telephone conversation about the tanker.

During the talks, Hunt also termed the conversation as 'constructive' and promised to 'facilitate' the release of the tanker "if we received guarantees that it would not be going to Syria."

The UK government, however, has so far failed to take any measures to fulfill its promise and release the supertanker.

KI/PR

News ID 147803

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