Islam Times - Iran: Oil tanker seized by UK not bound for Syria

Islam Times - Iran says an oil supertanker seized by Britain in Gibraltar was not carrying oil to Syria, denouncing the seizure as “maritime piracy”.

British Royal Marines boarded the ship on Thursday and seized it over accusations it was breaking sanctions by taking oil to Syria.

“Unlike Britain’s announcement, the tanker was not bound for Syria, and the port mentioned is not capable of receiving such a tanker,” Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told reporters at a news conference in Tehran Sunday.

The seized tanker is a 2 million barrel capacity very large crude carrier (VLCC), Araqchi said, adding it could not pass through the Suez Canal and that was why it had to go the extra mile through Gibraltar.