Iranian oil tanker pursued by US off the coast of Syria

Rouhani warns Macron of looming nuclear step

An Iranian oil tanker pursued by the U.S. across the Mediterranean Sea slowed to a near-stop yesterday off the coast of Syria, where America's top diplomat alleges it will be unloaded despite denials from Tehran.

 The ongoing saga of the Adrian Darya 1, formerly known as the Grace 1, comes as tensions remain high between the U.S. and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers. Tehran is set to send a deputy foreign minister and a team of economists to Paris on Monday for talks over ways to salvage the accord after a call between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and French President Emmanuel Macron.

 The ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com showed the Adrian Darya slowed to a near-stop yesterday some 50 nautical miles (92 kilometers) off Syria. The ship's Automatic Identification System does not show its destination after its mariners onboard previously listed it as ports in Greece and Turkey. Turkey's foreign minister at one point suggested it would go to Lebanon, something denied by a Lebanese official.

 The U.S. has been warning countries not to accept the Adrian Darya, which carries 2.1 million barrels of crude oil worth some $130 million.

 The U.S. has sanctioned the Adrian Darya's captain and has sought to impound the vessel.

 Authorities in Gibraltar alleged the ship was bound for a refinery in Baniyas, Syria, when they seized it in early July. They ultimately let it go.

 On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged on Twitter that the ship was still bound for Syria.

Meanwhile, president Hassan Rouhani spoke with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, warning him Iran would take the next step in reducing its nuclear commitments unless Europe lives up to its own undertakings.

Tensions have spiked in the Gulf since May last year when President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers—known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The escalation has seen ships attacked, drones downed and tankers seized in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for around a third of the world’s sea-borne oil.

At the height of the crisis, Trump ordered strikes against Iran on June 21 before cancelling them at the last minute. Macron has been leading efforts to de-escalate the situation, and expressed hopes at a G7 meeting last week of bringing Rouhani and Trump together for a meeting.

But Rouhani has played down the likelihood of that happening unless the United States first lifts crippling sanctions that it has slapped on Iran since pulling out of the deal.

“If Europe cannot operationalise its commitments, Iran will take its third step to reduce its JCPOA commitments,” Rouhani told Macron in a phone call, quoted by the government website.

 

Iranian oil tanker pursued by US off the coast of Syria

Rouhani warns Macron of looming nuclear step

An Iranian oil tanker pursued by the U.S. across the Mediterranean Sea slowed to a near-stop yesterday off the coast of Syria, where Americas top diplomat alleges it will be unloaded despite denials from Tehran. The ongoing saga of the Adrian Darya 1, formerly known as the Grace 1, comes as tensions remain high between the U.S. and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers. Tehran is set to send a deputy foreign minister and a team of economists to Paris on Monday for talks over ways to salvage the accord after a call between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and French President Emmanuel Macron. The ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com showed the Adrian Darya slowed to a near-stop yesterday some 50 nautical miles (92 kilometers) off Syria. The ships Automatic Identification System does not show its destination after its mariners onboard previously listed it as ports in Greece and Turkey. Turkeys foreign minister at one point suggested it would go to Lebanon, something denied by a Lebanese official. The U.S. has been warning countries not to accept the Adrian Darya, which carries 2.1 million barrels of crude oil worth some $130 million. The U.S. has sanctioned the Adrian Daryas captain and has sought to impound the vessel. Authorities in Gibraltar alleged the ship was bound for a refinery in Baniyas, Syria, when they seized it in early July. They ultimately let it go. On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged on Twitter that the ship was still bound for Syria. Meanwhile, president Hassan Rouhani spoke with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, warning him Iran would take the next step in reducing its nuclear commitments unless Europe lives up to its own undertakings. Tensions have spiked in the Gulf since May last year when President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a nuclear deal between Iran and world powersknown formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The escalation has seen ships attacked, drones downed and tankers seized in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for around a third of the worlds sea-borne oil. At the height of the crisis, Trump ordered strikes against Iran on June 21 before cancelling them at the last minute. Macron has been leading efforts to de-escalate the situation, and expressed hopes at a G7 meeting last week of bringing Rouhani and Trump together for a meeting. But Rouhani has played down the likelihood of that happening unless the United States first lifts crippling sanctions that it has slapped on Iran since pulling out of the deal. If Europe cannot operationalise its commitments, Iran will take its third step to reduce its JCPOA commitments, Rouhani told Macron in a phone call, quoted by the government website.