Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the detention of Iran's Grace 1 tanker by Gibraltar was illegal, despite the fact that it was released.
"Nothing changes the fact: detention was 100% unlawful," he wrote on Twitter.
He also posted the photograph of Iran's London Embassy note to UKFCO.
The tanker was formally detained on suspicion of breaching EU sanctions against Syria. Acting Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, however, claimed that the vessel was detained at the request of the United States, which has long been seeking to drive Iranian oil exports to zero. At the same time, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied the information that the detained tanker had transported oil to Syria.
The tanker was detained by the Gibraltar law enforcement, supported by UK marines. The seizure prompted a row between Tehran and London. Iran, which has slammed the move, seized a UK-flagged tanker with 23 crew onboard in the Strait of Hormuz over violation of nation's territorial waters later in July.
