New US escalation .. Washington orders the seizure of the Iranian oil tanker "Grace 1"

The US District Court in Washington has issued a court order to detain the Iranian tanker Grace 1, saying its decision is based on documents proving the tanker's violation of international economic emergency law, the system of bank fraud and money laundering, as well as another charge of terrorism.

The court said the tanker was illegally planning to exploit the US financial system to transport illegal shipments of oil to Syria, originating from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The US Attorney, Jesse Liu, said in a press statement that the tanker "Grace 1" is subject to seizure on the complaint of the US government, a day after the authorities allowed Gibraltar to the ship detained to sail.

The memorandum states that the tanker and all the oil it carries and $ 995,000 are subject to confiscation based on violation of the International Economic Emergency Law, bank fraud, money laundering and the status of confiscation under terrorism.

The State Department said earlier that its assessment indicated that the tanker was assisting the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and that those on board or on any ships that assist the Revolutionary Guards are linked to terrorism.

Tehran announced hours ago that the oil tanker was preparing to sail towards the Mediterranean, hoisting the Iranian flag under the name of "Adrian Daraya", stressing that it did not provide any guarantees for the release of the tanker, after a month and a half of detention.

At the request of the owner, the carrier will leave the Mediterranean after flying the Iranian flag and be renamed "Adrian Daraya" during the trip, said Jalil Islami, deputy director of the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran.

The British-ruled Supreme Court of Gibraltar on Thursday ordered the ship's release after authorities said it had received written assurances from Iran that the tanker would not go to any EU-sanctioned country.

The arrest of the tanker on July 4 on suspicion that the destination of the cargo was the oil refinery in Banias, Syria, in violation of an embargo imposed by the European Union.