US Defense Secretary denies plans to seize Iranian tanker

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has denied US plans to seize the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Daria 1, which is at the heart of a dispute between Tehran and Western powers.

"We are not talking about plans, but now I have no plan in my office to do this," Esper told reporters in London when asked about any plans to seize the ship.

He said he supported efforts by France and other countries to get Iran into talks.

"My personal view is that if the French and others can convince the Iranians to come to the table for talks, that would be good," he said.

Washington has warned any country against helping the ship, saying it would consider it in support of a terrorist organization, a reference to Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

US officials told Reuters the United States was not seriously considering any military action, such as boarding, as this would likely lead to an escalation that would fuel tension.

US President Donald Trump left the door open on Wednesday for the possibility of meeting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the next UN General Assembly in New York.

The tanker, loaded with Iranian crude, apparently sealed off the transceiver in the Mediterranean Sea, west of Syria.

The British Navy detained the tanker, formerly known as Grace 1, off Gibraltar on July 4 on suspicion of transporting oil to Syria in violation of European sanctions.

Gibraltar released the tanker on August 14 after receiving formal written assurances from Iran that the tanker would not unload its 2.1 million barrels in Syria.

Yesterday, the US State Department confirmed in response to a question by Al-Jazeera that the American authorities offered millions of dollars to the captains of Iranian oil tankers in exchange for handing over tankers to a country that could act on behalf of the United States in its detention.

Recently, Reuters quoted US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as asserting that his country has credible information that the Iranian oil tanker "Adrian Daria-1" is bound for Syria, and expressed the hope that the tanker will change course.

The US Treasury has blacklisted the Iranian oil tanker and imposed sanctions on anyone providing support.

The ban includes all the property and interests of anyone providing support to the Iranian tanker, as well as its assets in the United States, the ministry said.