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Iran Supertanker Is No Longer Bound for Turkey, Tracking Data Show

Iran Supertanker Is No Longer Bound for Turkey, Tracking Data Show

(Bloomberg) -- Supertanker Adrian Darya 1, which the U.S. is seeking to seize for carrying Iranian oil, is no longer signaling the port of Iskenderun in Turkey.

The vessel has showing “for order” as its destination, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. That means the ship’s captain is awaiting instructions on the vessel’s next move. The tanker altered its destination several times in recent days as it sailed east through the Mediterranean Sea.

The ship, formerly known as the Grace 1, has played a central role in a months-long dispute between the West and Iran. British forces seized the tanker off Gibraltar in early July, on suspicion that it was hauling oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. Gibraltar released the vessel on Aug. 15, saying that Iran had provided assurances that the ship wouldn’t sail to a destination sanctioned by the EU.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said in a tweet late Friday that the government has reliable information that the tanker is headed to Tartus, Syria.

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.