The supertanker Grace 1, which had been impounded in Gibraltar since its seizure in early July by British Marines on suspicion of carrying Iranian oil to Syria in violation of European sanctions, has been released from custody. The Iranian-owned vessel, which had sailed under a Panamanian flag, has since been renamed Adrian Darya and reflagged by Iran. On Aug. 16, a day after the Gibraltar Supreme Court ordered its release, reports from the scene indicated that the tanker was preparing to depart. However, it remained anchored off the coast of the British territory at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea. While the ultimate fate of the vessel remains up in the air, its eventual direction and destination could raise further concerns about an escalation between Iran and the West.
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