Greek state media reported that Iran allowed two Greek-flagged ships to set sail on Wednesday, after a months-long detention.
The ships Prudent Warrior and Delta Poseidon were seized on May 27. Ship-tracking data showed they were already moving away from the Iranian coast on Wednesday, en route to the United Arab Emirates.
Tehran seized the two tankers in response to the US seizure of an Iranian crude oil shipment in Greece.
The Greek Merchant Marine Ministry said in a statement that the two parties had reached an agreement in Tehran after months of talks.
How did the seizure happen?
Iran’s seizure of the two Greek ships came about a month after Greece seized a Russian-flagged tanker carrying Iranian crude near Athens. At the time, the country said it was acting on sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Athens then proceeded to announce that it would hand over the captured oil to the United States, prompting Iranian forces to seize the Greek-flagged ships.
In May, Greece accused Iranian forces of “capturing” the 44 people on board the two ships. The seizure was described as “amounting to acts of piracy”. Iran denied the accusations.
The sailors on both ships were replaced weeks before the ships were released.
There have been many attacks in the Persian Gulf since former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
rmt/fb (AFP, Reuters)
