Greek Stance on Iranian Oil Tanker Redirects Vessel to Turkey

An Iranian oil tanker, tracked by U.S. forces, has changed its destination to Turkey after Greece decided against aiding the vessel to avoid straining relations with Washington.

The crew of the tanker, previously known as Grace 1 and now called Adrian Darya 1, updated its listed destination to Mersin, Turkey, on Saturday. However, mariners can input any destination into the Automatic Identification System (AIS), so the true destination remains uncertain.

Initially, the Adrian Darya 1 had listed Kalamata, Greece, as its destination, despite the port's lack of infrastructure to handle the offloading of oil. Following this, the U.S. State Department exerted pressure on Greece not to assist the vessel, warning all Mediterranean ports against facilitating the tanker.

Greece's decision comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. The U.S. State Department communicated a strong position to all Mediterranean ports to be cautious of the Grace 1, reinforcing the geopolitical implications of aiding the tanker.

The Adrian Darya 1, carrying 2.1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil, was initially detained by Gibraltar over allegations it was heading to Syria, violating EU sanctions. Its detention and subsequent release have intensified U.S.-Iran tensions, following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the imposition of sanctions blocking Iran's oil sales.

Meanwhile, Iran has imposed sanctions on the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), accusing it of promoting "economic terrorism" against Iran. The U.S. State Department has labeled Iran's move as a threat, reiterating America's stance on protecting its citizens from Iranian actions.

(Source: Associated Press)