An Iranian oil tanker seized on suspicion of illegally shipping oil to Syria will not be detained by Gibraltar despite a US warrant to seize it.
ADVERTISEMENTGibraltar has refused to seize an Iranian tanker after a US federal court in Washington ordered its continued detention.
The Grace 1 has had a new name painted on its side and has raised the Iranian flag.
It's now called the Adrian Darya 1 and Iran's ambassador to London said it was expected to leave Gibraltar sometime on Sunday night.
The supertanker is carrying over two million barrels of oil and was originally detained on July 4 on suspicion of illegally transporting oil to Syria.
The US claims the ship has links with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Washington considers a terrorist organisation.
But Gibraltar's government said it was bound by EU Law to let the ship go after receiving written assurances from Iran that it was not travelling to Syria.
Meanwhile, Iran's navy commander says that it is ready to escort Iranian tankers in the Persian Gulf and what he called the "era of hit-and-run" is over.