Officials from Gibraltar and Iran have met to discuss the crisis over the UK territory's seizure of the VLCC Grace 1.

The 301,000-dwt vessel (built 1997) was detained on 4 July while allegedly carrying Iranian oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions.

Gibraltar's chief minister Fabian Picardo met Iranian officials in London on Wednesday "to discuss matters related to the detention of Grace 1 and to seek to de-escalate all aspects of the issues arising," the Gibraltar government said.