Unic Press UK: The UK Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab has condemned the Islamic Republic of Iran for breaching assurances, accusing Iran of the sale of Iranian crude oil to the Syrian Arab Republic. The Iranian oil tanker, Adrian Darya 1, (previously known as Grace 1], which was impounded in July by the Government of Gibraltar, was released in August following an alleged assurances from the Iranian government that the tanker and its cargo are not headed to Syria.
In a press release Tuesday, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and The Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP said:
“Iran repeatedly gave assurances to the Government of Gibraltar that the Grace 1/Adrian Darya 1 would not deliver oil to any EU-sanctioned entity in Syria or elsewhere. It is now clear that Iran has breached these assurances and that the oil has been transferred to Syria and Assad’s murderous regime. Iran’s actions represent an unacceptable violation of international norms and the UK will raise the issue at the United Nations later this month. This sale of oil to Assad’s brutal regime is part of a pattern of behaviour by the Government of Iran designed to disrupt regional security.”
Iran insists that it never breached any assurances. In a tweet, the Iranian Ambassador to the UK, Hamid Baeidinejad said:
“At today’s meeting with the British Foreign Secretary, it was emphasized that British authorities’ action against the Iranian oil tanker was in violation of international law. EU sanctions cannot be extended to third countries. He has not violated any obligation.”
در جلسه امروز با وزیر خارجه انگلیس، تاکیدگردیدکه اقدام مقامات انگلیس علیه نفتکش حامل نفت ایران خلاف حقوق بین الملل بود.تحریمهای اتحادیه اروپا قابل تعمیم به کشورهای ثالث نیست.علیرغم تهدیدات بیشمار آمریکا،نفتکش نفت خود را در دریا به یک شرکت خصوصی فروخت و تعهدی را هم نقض نکرده است.
— Hamid Baeidinejad (@baeidinejad) September 11, 2019
The United States in August 2019 designated an oil tanker Adrian Darya 1 and Akhilesh Kumar [the Adrian Darya 1’s captain] on the grounds that the tanker is carrying 2.1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil, with an estimated value of $130 million, to Syria for the purpose of facilitating the illicit activities of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF).
