The Pegas tanker, that has recently changed its name to Lana, is seen off the port of Karystos on the Aegean Sea island of Evia, Greece, May 27, 2022.
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The Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization announced on Tuesday, June 15, the release of its seized oil cargo in Greek waters.
"The order to return the goods to its owner has been issued and the implementation of this order is currently underway in Greece," the organization said in a statement.
Earlier, Reuters reported on June 10, quoting three informed sources, that a Greek court had overturned a previous court ruling that allowed the United States to seize Iranian oil.
The case began on April 16, when Greece seized the Russian tanker Lana (formerly Pegasus) carrying 700,000 barrels of Iranian oil and delivered it at the request of the United States in early June.
Greece says the seizure of the tanker was in line with EU sanctions. In response to the seizure of the Lana tanker, the Revolutionary Guards navy seized two Greek-flagged tankers carrying two million barrels of Iraqi oil in Persian Gulf waters on June 26.
The seizure was widely condemned by the European Union and the United States, with the Greek government calling it "piracy."
At the same time, the Revolutionary Guards claimed to have seized the tankers for "violations committed." The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that the tankers' case had been sent to the judiciary.
Still, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei explicitly stated on June 5 that this was a "compensation" for Greece's seizure of Iranian oil.
Ayatollah Khamenei said: "Iranian oil is stolen off the coast of Greece, then the desperate heroes of the Islamic Republic make up for it and seize the enemy oil ship, in the nationwide propaganda and media empire, Iran is accused of theft."
The Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization said in a statement today: "Despite the Americans' order to keep the ship and seize the goods in its favor and the US-Greece legal aid agreement, the cargo was finally returned to its owner, and the Greek government issued the relevant order. "We are now witnessing the lifting of the ship's seizure and the return of the cargo to its owner."
In an interview with AFP, a Greek official confirmed lifting the embargo on Iranian oil and said that the Athens government hopes that Iran will release the two seized tankers soon.