Lana tanker affair: Surprise appeal at the Supreme Court for the seized tanker

The issue of the tanker “Lana” is being put on hold at least until July 19, when the Supreme Court will hear an appeal against the verdict that annulled a previous court decision by which the tanker’s load of Iranian crude had been confiscated.

The appeal has been made, according to sources from the Ministry of Shipping, by a company that would have chartered a tanker, “Ice Energy”, to transfer the cargo of “Lana” after the legal assistance offered by the USA. However, this process was left up in the air because in the meantime a decision was issued annulling the previous decision that had seized the tanker’s cargo, and requesting the return of the cargo to “Lana”.

The appeal will be discussed at the Supreme Court on July 19 and until then no development is expected according to the Ministry of Shipping.

However, a meeting was held yesterday at the Ministry in which the request of “Lana” ship owners to be given a relevant permit for the transshipment of oil from the tanker “Ice Energy” was examined. According  to information the permission was granted (it is a purely technical issue as security issues are the issues being considered), but it will come into force once the legal pending matter at the Supreme Court is finalised.

Legal circles, however, appear optimistic that the applicant will not be vindicated and soon there will be a solution to the impasses that concerns two other Greek-flagged ships held by the Iranian authorities in the Persian Gulf.

It is recalled that the case with the tanker “Lana” started on April 14, when after sustaining damage “moored” at the anchorage of Karystos. The previously Russian-flagged “Pegas” tanker carrying Iranian oil was initially impounded after US legal aid argued that it belonged to Russia’s Promsvyazbank, one of Russia’s banks that had been sanctioned by the US and the EU.

Cargo

It later transpired that the ship had changed its name and flag and was called “Lana” under an Iranian flag. However, a new American appeal was made for its cargo, which was seized, on the grounds that the proceeds from the sale of the oil would end up financing terrorism. The tanker carried 107,000 tons of Iranian oil. After this decision, about 60,000 tons were transferred to the chartered tanker “Ice Energy”.

At the beginning of June, the Council of Appeals of Chalkida accepted the objections filed by the legal representative of the company that owns the cargo, regarding the seizure and transfer of the oil to the tanker “Ice Energy”. According to the court order, the cargo should be returned.

Then the owner of “Lana” provided all the required documents and the ship, with the help of two tugs, left Karystos and arrived in Piraeus docked almost next to “Ice Energy” so that the 60,000 tons of crude oil can be transfused. It appears that the Ministry of Shipping, gave its consent yesterday, for the transshipment process at Piraeus anchorage, provided, as mentioned above, the legal dispute ends.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards

In the meantime, after the “Lana” cargo was impounded, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized two Greek-flagged tankers in the Persian Gulf.

Their release is directly linked to the release of “Lana” and her cargo. In fact, at the beginning of June, Iranian mass media quoted officials as saying that after the release of “Lana”, the Greek ships, whose crews were not detained, would be released as well.

The two Greek-flagged tankers are the “Prudent Warrior” 150,000 dwt (built 2017) of Polembros Shipping and the “Delta Poseidon” 157,400 dwt (built 2011) of Delta Tankers.

The Prudent Warrior has twenty-three sailors on board – 15 Filipinos, seven Greeks and one Cypriot, and the Delta Poseidon has a crew of 25, two of whom are Greek.