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The Iranian tanker "Grace 1", which was sailing under the Panamanian flag, was renamed "Adrian Darya" for the remainder of its voyage and passed under the flag of Iran, which floated at its stern on Sunday, August 18, 2019. REUTERS / Jon Nazca

The authorities of the British territory of Gibraltar have rejected Sunday, August 18, 2019 the US request for seizure of the Iranian tanker Grace 1 , renamed Adrian Darya1 .

" Under European law, Gibraltar is unable to provide the assistance requested by the United States ". The communique of the local authorities of Gibraltar is clear: there is no question of immobilizing longer the Iranian ship and the 2 million barrels of oil that it carries.

Click here https://t.co/eTNB3qMKEr to read our full press statement on Further Mutual Legal Assistance Requests from the United States of America pic.twitter.com/UxZM5PIwtP

HM Govt of Gibraltar (@GibraltarGov) August 18, 2019

Thursday, August 15, Gibraltar had announced that the boat would be able to go back to sea.

The British authorities say they have been assured that Iran is not targeting the cargo of oil to Syria because it is in the name of the European sanctions against the Damascus regime that the tanker has been boarded .

In their response to the US Department of Justice this Sunday, the authorities of Gibraltar recall that the European Union does not apply US sanctions against Iran.

During his long weeks of immobilization, the boat changed its name, flag and crew. His name is now Adrian Darya1 and his flag is Iranian and no longer Panamanian, free to resume his journey to an unknown destination.