Iran tanker sought by U.S. now off Lebanon

An Iranian oil tanker pursued by the U.S. that has been travelling across the Mediterranean Sea is now off the coast of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, according to ship-tracking website MarineTraffic


ROUTE OF IRANIAN OIL TANKER ACROSS MEDITERRANEAN

1
Gibraltar (UK) 
SPAIN
2 3 4
Mediterranean Sea
Kalamata
GREECE
TURKEY
5
Mersin
Iskenderun
Baniyas, Syria: Suspected destination
6
LEBANON
EGYPT
Suez Canal

500km 310 miles

Apr 17: Tanker leaves Iran, sails around Africa as it is too big for Suez Canal


1 Jul 4: Grace 1 tanker impounded off Gibraltar. Vessel suspected of transporting 2.1 million barrels of Iranian oil to Syria in defiance of EU sanctions

2 Aug 15: Gibraltar releases Grace 1 after receiving assurances from Iran that tanker would not unload its cargo in Syria

3 Aug 18: Grace 1 – now renamed by Iran as Adrian Darya 1 – heads for Kalamata in Greece, despite U.S. attempts to have it re-impounded. U.S. warns Mediterranean countries not to accept vessel

4 Aug 24: New ship tracking data shows tanker heading for Turkish port of Mersin

5 Aug 30: Destination changes to Iskenderun in Turkey. U.S. maintains that ship is still bound for Syria

6 Sep 2: Tanker moving slowly just outside Lebanese territorial waters. Location raises possibility that ship may attempt to discharge cargo by ship-to-ship transfer near Lebanese port of Tripoli


Iranian-flagged Adrian Darya 1, previously named Grace 1

Deadweight
300,000 tonnes 
Crew: 25 
Built: 1997


Sources: Associated Press, MarineTraffic, Reuters
Picture: Associated Press 
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