UK Prime Minister Theresa May has welcomed Gibraltar's move to halt a supertanker reportedly carrying crude oil to Syria, according to May's spokesperson. The official underlined that Gibraltar's actions send a clear message that violation of the sanctions will not be tolerated, APA reports citing Sputnik.
The Grace 1 vessel was detained on Thursday by Gibraltar police and customs agencies, along with the British Royal Marines.
Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo stated that the government had sufficient evidence that the supertanker was transporting crude oil to the Banyas Refinery in Syria.
Picardo noted that the refinery belonged to an entity subject to EU sanctions against Syria.
According to the maritime intelligence data, the Panamanian-flagged ship was carrying oil from Iran.
The European Union introduced sanctions against the Syrian government in May 2011 that affected 277 Syrian officials. The bloc also froze the assets of some 72 entities and put an embargo on Syrian oil.
Follow us on Telegram
t.me/apanewsaz
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on X
