Is Iranian tanker which was seized over suspicions it was transporting oil to Syria about to drop off its cargo? Ship which was released by Gibraltar is spotted off Syrian coast tethered to another vessel

  • The Adrian Darya 1 was originally detained while carrying $130m in crude oil
  • Satellite images show it with mooring lines and cranes rigged to a smaller vessel
  • US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted a picture of the two tankers 

An Iranian-flagged oil tanker that was originally seized by Gibraltar over suspicions it was transporting oil to Syria has been spotted just weeks after it was released off the Syrian coast.

The previously detained tanker, Adrian Darya 1, was spotted on Thursday in satellite images as it was approached by a smaller Iranian tanker called the Jasmine.

Mooring lines were rigged between the two and a crane appeared to be deployed on the larger vessel, which would indicate that the ship was preparing to transfer its cargo.

An Iranian-flagged oil tanker that was originally seized by Gibraltar over suspicions it was transporting oil to Syria has been spotted just days after it was released off the Syrian coast

An Iranian-flagged oil tanker that was originally seized by Gibraltar over suspicions it was transporting oil to Syria has been spotted just days after it was released off the Syrian coast

The Adrian Darya 1, formerly named the Grace 1, was originally detained off the British overseas territory of Gibraltar in July while carrying $130million in crude oil.

It was believed that they were breaking European Union sanctions by attempting to take the oil to Syria. 

Gibraltar later released the tanker after Iran supposedly promised that the ship would not deliver the oil.

But the ship then sailed toward the Syrian coast which angered Britain.

The Adrian Darya 1, formerly named the Grace 1, was detained off the British overseas territory of Gibraltar in July while carrying $130million in crude oil (stock image)

The Adrian Darya 1, formerly named the Grace 1, was detained off the British overseas territory of Gibraltar in July while carrying $130million in crude oil (stock image)

Mooring lines were rigged between the two and a crane appeared to be deployed on the larger vessel, which would indicate that the tanker was preparing to transfer its cargo (stock image)

Mooring lines were rigged between the two and a crane appeared to be deployed on the larger vessel, which would indicate that the tanker was preparing to transfer its cargo (stock image)

The oil shipment website TankerTrackers.com said on Twitter earlier this week that the pictures showed the Adrian Darya 1 'postured in an STS (Ship-to-Ship) formation with a smaller Iranian-flagged Handymax (350K barrel capacity) tanker.'

It noted this was 'not a confirmation of any oil transfer just yet.'  

However, the website said later said that it would be ending its public coverage of the Iranian tanker's movements due to a tweet by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who used the image of the two tankers in a tweet of his own.

Pompeo tweeted that despite Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad 'Zarif's promise to the UK that the AdrianDarya1 would not deliver oil to Syria, it is now transferring oil off the Syrian coast. 

'Will the world hold Iran accountable if this oil is delivered to Syria?'

There was no official reaction from Iranian authorities.

Tension has been high between Tehran and Washington following President Donald Trump's decision over a year ago to unilaterally pull out of a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. 

America has imposed sanctions that have kept Iran from selling its oil abroad which have crippled its economy. 

Iran has since begun breaking terms of the deal and the tensions have led to the seizure of ships at sea. 

After the Adrian Darya 1 was captured, Iran retaliated by seizing the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero in July as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 per cent of all traded oil passes through.

Iranian authorities released the Stena Impero last Friday.