Gibraltar turns down US plea on Iran tanker!

• Gibraltar's government said it was allowing the Iranian tanker's release.

Authorities in Gibraltar on Sunday rejected the United States' latest request not to release seized Iranian supertanker Grace 1, clearing the way for the vessel to set sail after being detained last month for allegedly attempting to breach European Union sanctions on Syria.

The ship was expected to leave on Sunday night, according to a statement on Twitter by Hamid Baeidinejad, Iran's ambassador to Britain.
Gibraltar's government said on Sunday it was allowing the Iranian tanker's release because "the EU sanctions regime against Iran - which is applicable in Gibraltar - is much narrower than that applicable in the US". Analysts had said the Iranian ship's release by Gibraltar could see the Iran-seized Stena Impero go free.