On 4 July 2019, The British military forces stopped a tanker allegedly carrying crude oil from Iran to Syria by drilling the European Union (EU) sanctions in the Strait of Gibraltar.
According to the statement of the autonomous administration of Gibraltar (belongs to UK) that they have reliable information that the tanker (named Grace 1) is carrying crude oil to the Banyas refinery in Syria.
“This refinery is the property of an institution that is subject to sanctions by the European Union towards Syria,” Prime Minister Fabian Picardo said.
Picardo, at the request of the operation was carried out with the participation of the British Navy announced.
Iran government called the British Ambassador to Tehran, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conveyed the discomfort about stopping the tanker.
The British government welcomed the operation. British Prime Minister Theresa May said, “We welcome this decisive initiative to fulfill EU sanctions on the Syrian regime, and we present our appreciation to the Gibraltar authorities who successfully carried out the operation this morning.”
The operation on Thursday morning (4th of July) may be linked to the US’s desire to stop Iran’s crude oil sales all over the world. Tehran calls the White House’s stance “economic war”.
