Greece renews calls for Iran to release two oil tankers and crew

Maritime authorities in Greece have renewed requires Iran to launch the crews of two seized oil tankers.

The Delta Poseidon and Prudent Warrior had been taken by the nation's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) within the Persian Gulf final month in a tit-for-tat transfer.

The Greek Coast Guard and unbiased monitoring providers have stated the 2 tankers are moored on the Iranian port of Bandar. Not less than 9 Greek nationals and one Cypriot had been on board.

Tehran has acknowledged that the crews are in "good well being" and haven't been detained.

The transfer got here simply days after Athens introduced that it could hand over a reported 700,000 barrels of Iranian crude oil from a Russian-flagged tanker it impounded over to the US. 

The Russian vessel, which tried to change its flag to Iran on the eleventh hour, was seized on April 19 off the island of Evia attributable to world sanctions linked to Russia's conflict with Ukraine. US and EU sanctions additionally bar nations from shopping for Iranian petrochemical merchandise. 

On Tuesday, Iran stated that Greece had launched the Russian tanker after a courtroom order to return the oil to Tehran.

"The Greek authorities issued an order to this impact, and now we're witnessing the lifting of the seizure of the ship and its return to its proprietor," Iran's port and maritime authorities stated in a press release.

Greek authorities say they're "hopeful" that the discharge of Iranian oil will immediate an analogous transfer by Tehran.

Dramatic footage from Might confirmed armed IRGC officers descending onto the deck of one of many Greek vessels from a helicopter. 

Greek Service provider Marine Minister Ioannis Plakiotakis has described the Iranian seizure as a menace to the safety of delivery and commerce.

"We name on all nations to behave to place an finish to this unacceptable incident and be certain that it doesn't occur once more," he stated on June 3.

Each Germany and France's international ministries have additionally condemned the seizure of the Greek tankers and known as on Tehran to launch the ships with their crew. The Iranian authorities had known as the statements "biased" and "inappropriate interference".