Two Greek suezmax tankers detained for nearly six months by Iran in a tit-for-tat battle over the seizure of sanctioned oil have been released.
The 157,400-dwt Delta Poseidon (built 2011) and 150,000-dwt Prudent Warrior (built 2017) both left the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and were heading to the United Arab Emirates.
Greece’s shipping ministry said the final agreement to release the Delta Tankers and Polembros Shipping-managed vessels in exchange for an Iranian-flagged aframax was reached on Wednesday in Tehran.
Both ships were seized in late May to be used as a bargaining chip to free the 115,400-dwt Lana (built 2003), which was detained the previous month.
The coordinated releases on Wednesday saw the Lana escorted from its anchorage by the Greek navy, while the Iranian military did the same with the other ships, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.
“Delta Tankers can confirm that the tanker, Delta Poseidon, has been released today by the Iranian authorities. This is very good news and we are grateful to all those involved with securing this release,” said the company in a statement.
“The crew are well and pleased to be on their way after many months.”
The dispute was sparked by Greece removing oil from the 115,400-dwt Lana (built 2003) at the request of the US. The US said the cargo belonged to Iran’s sanctioned Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Greece’s supreme court in July allowed the Lana to go ahead and recoup 56,000 tonnes of unloaded crude, saying there was not enough evidence to show it was linked to the IRGC.
But the dispute continued for another four months before a deal was struck between the two governments. Details of the final agreement were not immediately available.
Crew fatigue
Last month, 17 of the 24 Greek and Filipino crew members on board the Prudent Warrior were replaced.
Polembros said on Monday that it was hoping discussions at a government and diplomatic level would bring the stand-off to an end.
The Lana, which was immobilised off Piraeus, was shown on Wednesday to be heading south on a voyage to Istanbul, according to ship tracking data.
The Delta Poseidon is heading to a Fujairah anchorage for inspections before resuming its onward journey to Agioi Theodortoi, Greece.
