Greece to hand over US Iranian oil from seized Russian tanker

Greece will hand over Iranian oil to the United States, which was transported on a Russian tanker that was detained in April. In the same month, the tanker was released. Onboard the tanker, according to media reports, there were 115,000 tons of Iranian oil.

“Based on the court decision, the cargo found on the Lana tanker is expected to be sent to the United States, the costs of reloading will be compensated by the US authorities. The ship is now in the port of Karystos," TASS quotes the Greek Ministry of the Navy and Island Policy as saying.

On April 19, the Pegas tanker floating under the Russian flag was seized at the pier in the Greek city of Karystos. The decision to seize the tanker was made considering the sanctions imposed by the European Union as part of the fifth package of sanctions that includes a ban on Russian ships entering European ports. There were 19 Russian sailors on board the ship. The tanker was renamed “Lana”. On April 22, the ship was released.

The Greek newspaper Kathimerini wrote that until mid-March, the tanker "actually belonged" to Russia's Promsvyazbank bank. The credit institution came under US sanctions imposed in response to the Russian military operation in Ukraine. On March 17, the ship changed its owner and was transferred to the Transmorflot company.

In May, according to the newspaper, the US sent a request to the Greek judiciary demanding the seizure of oil from a Russian tanker. Washington claims that the oil is from Iran, and the company that "will benefit from its sale" is blacklisted by the US due to suspicions of financing terrorism. The Athens court eventually decided to transfer the cargo from the tanker to the US.