Iran Releases Greek-Owned Tanker St. Nikolas Seized In January 2024

Iran has reportedly released the Greek-owned oil tanker St. Nikolas, which it seized in January 2024, according to maritime intelligence firm TankerTrackers.

The move appears to end a lengthy detention linked to earlier U.S. sanctions enforcement actions involving the same vessel.

The St. Nikolas, a Marshall Islands-flagged Suezmax tanker, was seized by Iranian forces while transiting the Gulf of Oman with a cargo of Iraqi crude oil bound for Turkey.

Iranian state media had said at the time that the seizure was carried out under a court order, although it was widely seen as retaliation for a previous U.S. action.

TankerTrackers said on Monday that Iran has now released the tanker. There has been no official confirmation from Iranian authorities.

The detention followed events in April 2023, when U.S. authorities seized the same vessel while it was operating under the name Suez Rajan.

That seizure took place in the South China Sea and involved more than 980,000 barrels of Iranian crude oil linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

U.S. authorities later said the seizure came after the vessel’s bareboat charterer, Suez Rajan Limited, pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran.

As part of a deferred prosecution agreement, Greece-based Empire Navigation agreed to carry the Iranian oil to the United States for physical seizure and to pay the costs of the voyage.

The tanker later remained off the Texas coast for more than two and a half months before the oil was discharged.

After the U.S. seizure, Iranian officials warned that the action would not go unanswered. Soon afterwards, Iranian naval and IRGC forces detained several foreign-linked vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.

These included the tanker Advantage Sweet, which was carrying cargo for U.S. oil major Chevron, and the tanker Niovi. While the Advantage Sweet was later released, Iran continues to hold the Niovi, with limited explanation from authorities.

Reference: Reuters

Source: Maritime Shipping News