An Indonesian official and Iranian official media confirmed today, Saturday, that an Iranian-flagged tanker who had been detained in Indonesia since last January had been released.
Indonesian Coast Guard spokesman Wisnu Pramandita said a decision was made to release the tanker “MT Horse” on Friday after a court ruling was issued earlier in the week, adding that the court had issued a release decision. the tanker, but with his captain placed on probation for a period of time: two years without fine.
For its part, the Iranian Radio and Television Company said the ship has resumed its mission and will return to its country after its completion.
Indonesia had said during the tanker’s detention that the coast guard suspected it was illegally transporting oil into the country’s waters, while the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the detention was due to a ” technical problem occurring in the field of navigation “.
The Iranian Petroleum Ministry (Shana) news agency quoted the company that owns the tanker as saying, “The crew of the MT – with their sacrifice and determination to continue their mission – have protected the national interest of Iran to preserve the export of its petroleum and petroleum products. “
Iran is subject to US sanctions targeting mainly its oil exports, and some accuse it of hiding the destination of its oil sales by disabling the track-following systems of its tankers.