A Greek court ruled on Wednesday that a load of crude oil seized and removed from an Iranian-flagged vessel last month must be returned to its owners.
The decision by the Chalkis appeals court overrules a previous judgement by lower Greek magistrates that had led to 68,000 tonnes of crude oil being taken from the 115,400-dwt aframax Lana (built 2003) — a Russian-linked, Iran-flag vessel detained by Greek authorities since April.
The cargo, which is currently on board Dynacom Tanker Management’s 70,400-dwt panamax tanker Ice Energy (built 2006), should be therefore returned to the Lana, informed sources told TradeWinds.
Angered by Greek authorities’ seizure of the cargo, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards retaliated on 27 May by boarding and seizing two Greek-flagged suezmaxes sailing off Iran.
The two ships, the Delta Tankers’ 157,400-dwt Delta Poseidon (built 2011) and Polembros Shipping’s 150,000-dwt Prudent Warrior (built 2017), are still held in Iran with their crews and cargoes.
The Greek court’s decision on Wednesday may be offering a way out of the impasse that has led to a sharp exchange of words and warnings between the governments in Athens and Tehran.
Following Wednesday's court decision, busy exchanges are taking place between Greek and Iranian diplomats to find a way forward, the sources said.
At the same time, top Greek justice ministry officials are said to be discussing the matter in the US, on the behalf of whose government Greece had seized Lana’s cargo.
Following the arrest of the two Greek-controlled tankers in Iran, Greece has been very slow in completing the transfer of the oil cargo from the Lana.
The Ice Energy, which was supposed to carry the 68,000 tons of crude to the US, has inexplicably delayed its departure and remains anchored off Piraeus for several days.
At the same time, a second Dynacom vessel that was supposed to remove the remaining cargo from the Lana, the 70,400-dwt Ice Victory (built 2006), has been anchored near the Iranian-flagged ship but has made so far no attempt to side it to remove the cargo.
