Court Overturns Decision to Seize Iranian Oil Shipment

Court Overturns Decision to Seize Iranian Oil Shipment
A Greek court overturned a decision that allowed the country to seize a cargo of Iranian oil.

A Greek court overturned a decision that allowed the country to seize a cargo of Iranian oil, a step that may ultimately help to secure the release two tankers that the Persian Gulf state took in retaliation.

The Iran-flagged vessel had been detained off Greek shores and had its cargo confiscated in late May. 

“Following intensive follow-up, the Greek appeals court canceled the initial court ruling on the seizure of Iranian oil,” Iran’s embassy in Athens said in a tweet. 

Taking into account new data that the Iranian company that operates the ship provided, a Greek court decided to overturn the previous decision, people familiar with the matter said. 

Days after the initial decision to confiscate the Iranian oil, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps diverted two Greek oil tankers into Iranian waters as retaliatory step for the vessel that Athens seized to enforce US sanctions. 

The Greek court’s decision may help to secure the release of those two carriers, judging by how previous tit-for-tat vessel seizures involving Iran have played out.

--With assistance from Arsalan Shahla.


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