Gibraltar was granted the power on Friday to detain Iran's Grace 1 oil tanker for another month, keeping the vessel at the center of a big-power quarrel between
Iran and the
United States and its allies.
Gibraltar said the Iranian vessel, seized by marines in a daring landing in darkness off the coast of the
British territory on July 4, was suspected of smuggling oil to
Syria in breach of
European Union sanctions.
Iran has repeatedly called for the ship's release, denies the allegation that the tanker was taking oil to Syria in violation of
sanctions and says Gibraltar and
Britain seized the vessel on the orders of Washington.