ATHENS: An Iranian-flagged tanker seized by Greece in April, a part of whose cargo was confiscated by the USA, was being towed to the port of Piraeus on Saturday, Greek coast guard officers mentioned, after Greek authorities authorised its launch. For over two months the Iranian-flagged Lana, previously Pegas, has been anchored off the Greek island of Evia in a diplomatic deadlock which has strained Athens’ relations with Tehran amid rising tensions between Iran and the USA. “It left Karystos at 6:30 am (0330 GMT) and is predicted to achieve Piraeus round 1000 pm,” one official mentioned. Greek authorities in April impounded Lana and its oil cargo with 19 Russian crew members on board close to the coast of Evia, attributable to sanctions following a authorized motion by the USA. The ship was later launched attributable to problems relating to its possession, however a part of the Iranian oil cargo had already been transferred to a different ship, Ice Power, which was employed by the USA and is moored off Piraeus port. The removing of oil from the Lana prompted Iranian forces final month to grab two Greek tankers within the Center East Gulf and sail them again to Iran after Tehran warned it could take “punitive motion” in opposition to Athens. Following an attraction by an Iranian firm on June 7, a Greek judicial panel overturned the preliminary court docket order that allowed the confiscation of the cargo on behalf of the USA. That call has cleared the best way for Lana to retrieve the cargo that was transferred to Ice Power. Till final week nevertheless Lana, which nonetheless has engine issues, was being detained by one other firm attributable to money owed owed for towing providers. It was formally launched after the quantity owed was paid off, authorized sources advised Reuters.