An Iranian supertanker at the center of an angry confrontation between Iran and Washington sailed for Greece on Monday after it was freed from detention off Gibraltar, as Tehran warned the US not to seize the vessel.
While Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif appeared to downplay the possibility of a military conflict with Washington in an interview on US television, he also indicated during a visit to Finland that Washington was seeking "more escalation."
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The Grace 1, renamed the Adrian Darya 1, left anchorage off Gibraltar about 11 p.m. (21:00 GMT) on Sunday. Refinitiv ship tracking data showed on Monday that the vessel was heading to Kalamata in Greece and was scheduled to arrive next Sunday at 00:00 GMT.
The seizure of the supertanker by British Royal Marines near Gibraltar on July 4 on suspicion of carrying oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions led to a weeks-long confrontation between Tehran and the West. It also heightened tensions on international oil shipping routes through the Gulf.
Gibraltar, a British overseas territory, lifted the detention order on Thursday but the next day a federal court in Washington issued a warrant for the seizure of the supertanker, the oil it carries and nearly $1 million.
Gibraltar said on Sunday it could not comply with the request because it was bound by EU law. Washington wanted to detain the supertanker on the grounds that it had links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which it has designated as a terrorist organization.
"We are happy this ordeal has ended and I hope this will lead to less escalation," Zarif said while visiting Finland.
He also said the US warrant had no legal basis and was politically motivated to "make more escalation."
But in an interview with the American NBC news network, Zarif said that Iran would not take military action to end its standoff with its longtime adversary.
"We will not. We have never done that, in the past 250 years. We have defended ourselves. And we have taught good lessons to those who invaded us," Zarif said.
He also appeared to downplay the possibility of US military action against the Islamic Republic in the interview, saying the US habit of saying "No option is off the table" in its approach to Iran was a violation of the UN Charter.
Iran said on Monday that any US attempt to seize the supertanker would have "heavy consequences."
Asked whether the United States could renew its seizure request after the supertanker sailed from Gibraltar, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said: "Such an action, and even the talk of it ... would endanger shipping safety in open seas."
"Iran has issued the necessary warnings through official channels, especially the Swiss Embassy, to American officials not to commit such an error because it would have heavy consequences," Mousavi said in remarks on state television.
Switzerland represents US interests in Iran, which has no diplomatic relations with the United States.
US President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in May last year, while the European Union is still part of the accord, which allows Tehran to sell its oil.
Washington wants to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero and has reimposed US sanctions which place heavy penalties on any breaches even for non-US citizens and companies, including asset freezes and being cut off from the US financial system.
While EU regulations still allow for companies and citizens in the bloc to trade with Iran, falling foul of US sanctions has meant that most banks are unwilling to process even authorized transactions like food and medicine, finance sources say.
This is likely to be the first major foreign policy test for Greece's new Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis since he took office in July if the vessel enters Greek territorial waters.
Zarif said that because of US sanctions, Iran could not reveal where the oil would go.
The Greek coastguard said that it had no formal information the vessel is heading to Kalamata and was monitoring the matter.
