Iran said on Tuesday that Britain might soon free its oil tanker Grace 1 in a maritime saga that has exacerbated frictions between Tehran and the West, but this was quickly dismissed by the UK as false.
A source for the government of the British Mediterranean territory Gibraltar, where UK marines seized the tanker on July 4 on suspicion of violating European sanctions by transporting oil to Syria, denied an Iranian report that the release of the tanker could happen on Tuesday.
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Tehran has denied that its vessel was engaged in illegal activity and in retaliation, the Iran Revolutionary Guards seized the British-flagged Stena Impero tanker in the Strait of Hormuz waterway on July 19 for alleged marine violations.
The deputy head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organisation, Jalil Eslami, said in remarks reported by state news agency IRNA that Britain was thinking of freeing the Grace 1 following an exchange of documents.
"The vessel was seized based on false allegations ... it has not been freed yet," Eslami said. "We hope the release will take place soon," he said.
Iran's Fars news agency, quoting unidentified Gibraltar authorities, said that the tanker would be freed by Tuesday evening. A senior Gibraltarian government source said that was incorrect, though earlier the territory had said it was seeking the de-escalate the situation.
The tankers' affair has added to worsening hostilities since Washington pulled out of an international agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program and reimpose economic sanctions.
