Washington, Aug. 17 -- : A day after Gibraltar released a detained Iranian oil tanker, the United States on Friday issued a warrant to seize the vessel for violating international law by allegedly making illicit shipments to Syria.
Earlier, Washington had asked the Gilbraltar authorities to hand over the ship to the US.
"A seizure warrant and forfeiture complaint were unsealed today in the US District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that Oil Tanker 'Grace 1,' all petroleum aboard it and $995,000.00 are subject to forfeiture based on violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), bank fraud statute, and money laundering statute, as well as separate the terrorism forfeiture statute," Sputnik quoted US Jus...