Greek court overturns ruling that had allowed seizure of Iranian tanker's oil

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS (AA) – A Greek court has overturned a ruling that had allowed the US to confiscate oil from an Iranian-flagged tanker at the island of Evia, local media reported on Thursday.

Following objections from the Iranian side, an appeals court on Wednesday annulled a prosecutor’s provisions on the seizure and transfer of Iranian oil, according to Kathimerini daily.

After the ruling, the oil already transferred to the US tanker Ice Energy under a ruling this May will have to be returned to an Iranian tanker.

The Iranian-flagged oil tanker Lana, formerly known as Pegas, was seized in April by Greek authorities as part of EU sanctions on Moscow.

But the ship's ownership was unclear. Equasis, a public website that promotes maritime safety and quality, said the tanker had changed names, flags, and owners several times, but the new owners were not on any sanctions lists.

The seizure prompted the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to seize two Greek oil tankers in the Persian Gulf last month in retaliation.