Date: 21 July 2019 , 21:55
News ID: 5362

Report: Saudi Arabia Ends ‘Illegal’ Red Light for Iranian Tanker

An Iranian oil tanker which was “illegally” held by Saudi Arabia for two months has reportedly been released, and is now on its way back home with its entire crew on board.
Report: Saudi Arabia Ends ‘Illegal’ Red Light for Iranian Tanker

Reports said Saturday that the Iranian oil tanker, named Happiness I, had been released and was heading towards Iran’s waters. The vessel was denied a leave permission by the Saudi port of Jeddah, in a move described by Iran as illegal.

On May 2, Saudi Arabia announced its coast guard had rescued a distressed Iranian oil tanker with 26 on board off the Red Sea port of Jeddah, after it faced "engine failure and the loss of control."

According to Iranian officials, the incident occurred on April 30 while Happiness I was on its way to the Suez Canal and that water had leaked into the tanker’s engine room.

Despite being fixed, the Saudis were refusing to let the vessel leave, and at the same time were demanding that Iran should pay $200,000 a day for maintaining the vessel in Jeddah.

Iranian officials slammed the Saudi demand, describing it as “illegal”. 

Earleir this month, an Iranian lawmaker said Saudi Arabia's persistence in the continued seizure of the Iranian oil tanker was stirring tensions in the region.

"Saudi Arabia should not be after tensions in the Persian Gulf and among the neighbors through the continued holding of the Iranian oil tanker in Jeddah port. Tensions among the Persian Gulf littoral states do not benefit any country and only favor the West," Ali Bakhtiar, a senior member of the Iranian Parliament’s Energy Commission, said on July 06.