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Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt said he told his Iranian counterpart on Saturday that Britain would facilitate the release of tanker Grace 1, who was held there, and was guaranteed not to go to Syria.
Hunt said the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, had told him that Iran wanted to solve the problem and was not trying to escalate tensions.
He tweeted, "I just spoke to Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif. Constructive appeal. I rebadured her, our concern was that the destination was not the origin of Grace One's oil and that the United Kingdom would facilitate the release if we had guarantees that it would not be sent in Syria, in accordance with the proper procedure before Gib's courts.
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Saudi Arabia has announced that 26 people have been injured in an attack perpetrated by Houthi rebels from Yemen against an airport in Abha, a city in the southwestern kingdom.
Two oil tankers near the Hormuz Strait would have been attacked in an badault that left a fire and adrift, 44 sailors having been evacuated from both ships and the US Navy aided.
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The Iranian and US presidents exchange insults, Hbadan Rouhani suggesting that Donald Trump was suffering from a "mental disorder" and that Trump once again threatened Iran with "wiping out".
Iran calls the UK ambbadador after an incident off Gibraltar as the Royal Marines seize an oil tanker suspected by the United Kingdom of carrying oil to Syria.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the body responsible for verifying Iran's compliance with the terms of the nuclear deal, checks that Tehran has exceeded the limit of 3.67% agreed for enriched uranium.
The British government said three Iranian ships had been warned by the HMS Montrose frigate after Iranian boats had "tried to prevent" a British tanker in the Strait of Ormuz. Tehran denies any involvement.
"Minister Zarif told Iran that Iran wanted to solve the problem and was not trying to get worse. Also talked to [Gibraltar’s chief minister] Fabian Picardo, who does an excellent job of coordinating the problems and shares the UK's perspective on the way forward. "
The exchange comes after confirmation that the United Kingdom will strengthen its military presence in the Gulf by sending a second warship to the region to protect British tankers.
The HMS Duncan, a Type 45 destroyer, will be deployed a few days after completing a series of NATO exercises in the Baltic Sea, with the aim of traveling to the Gulf region next week.
The ship will work alongside the Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose and US allies in the Gulf, but will not participate in Washington's proposed global maritime coalition to protect ships in the region.
Theresa May said this week that she would begin discussions with US authorities on strengthening the transatlantic presence in the region, following two rounds of attacks targeting oil tankers in the Gulf of Georgia. Oman and an attempt by the Iranian navy to push a British tanker. to Iranian waters.
In a statement, Hunt said that during a phone call with the chief minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, they had "recognized the importance of reducing the current situation as quickly as possible while highlighting the situation. importance for Gibraltar to apply EU sanctions against Syria through judicial procedures ".
He added, "Mr. Picardo indicated that Gibraltar would be prepared to facilitate, subject to its obligations under the law of the Union, the return of the badets held to a legitimate claimant they were convinced that they had received guarantees not to visit Syria.
"The detention and investigation of Grace 1 has been – and continues to be – an operation led by the Gibraltar government to maintain EU sanctions against Syria. I pay tribute to the admirable leadership of the Chief Minister throughout this process, competently supported by the Gibraltar authorities. "
Hunt stated that during his phone call with Zarif, he reiterated that the decision to detain Grace 1 was tied to the destination of the ship and not to its origin.
"It was the application of EU sanctions to Syria: measures were taken because of the destination of oil – a sanctioned Syrian entity – – and not of its Iranian origin ", did he declare.
Relations between Britain and Iran deteriorated last week when the United Kingdom seized Grace 1, suspected of carrying oil to Syria, in violation of EU sanctions. Tehran denied that the ship was heading to Syria and threatened to seize a British tanker in retaliation if Grace 1 was not released.
The captain and chief officer of the ship were arrested by the Gibraltar authorities after a search of the ship for more than a week. On Saturday, the Royal Gibraltar Police said that the duo and two other officers had been released on bail without charge, while the investigation was ongoing and the vessel was still in detention.
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