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Iranian Oil Tanker Remains Off Gibraltar Despite Court Ruling

VOA News

   VOA Persian's Katherine Ahn contributed to this report.

   An Iranian supertanker caught in a diplomatic standoff off the coast of
   the British overseas territory Gibraltar remained in port Friday
   despite a court ruling that it can be released.

   It is not clear when the Iranian supertankerGrace 1, which is at the
   center of the standoff between Iran and the West, will be able to set
   sail.

   A lawyer for the ship's captain told the Associated Press on Friday
   that the ship's Indian captain no longer wantedto maintain command of
   the vessel.

   The Supreme Court in Gibraltar ruled Thursday that the tanker couldbe
   released from detention, shortly after the United States had launched a
   new, last-minute legal bid to hold it.

   A delay of the vessel's departure could give the United States another
   opportunity to mount further legal action to again try to prevent the
   tanker from leaving Gibraltar.

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