Royal Marines and Gibraltar seize ship suspected of taking Iranian oil to Syria
Tanker was thought to be going to Banyas refinery, in breach of EU sanctions against Syria
A detachment of nearly 30 Royal Marines and Gibraltarian police have dramatically seized a supertanker suspected of carrying Iranian oil to Syria in what the UK said was a breach of EU sanctions against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
The British Foreign Office praised “firm action by the Gibraltarian authorities” in intercepting the vessel, called Grace 1, although Spain said Gibraltar had acted in response to a request made first by the US to the UK.