The Gibraltar government had previously confirmed on Thursday that the US Department of Justice had made a last-minute request to halt the release of the seized Iranian supertanker on a number of allegations.
The tanker was formally detained last month on suspicion of breaching EU sanctions against Syria. But acting Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell claimed that the vessel was detained at the request of the United States, which has long been seeking to curtail Iranian oil exports.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that the tanker had transported oil to Syria.
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