TEHRAN – Sources have said that Iranian tanker Adrian Darya 1 has unloaded its oil at a port in Syria, Tasnim quoted the Middle East Eye as reporting on Saturday.

Adrian Darya 1 had been at the center of a dispute between Tehran and certain Western countries. It was photographed by satellite off the Syrian port of Tartus, a U.S. space technology company said on Friday, according to the Guardian.

Maxar Technologies Inc said the image showed the tanker Adrian Darya 1 very close to Tartus on September 6. The ship appeared to have turned off its transponder in the Mediterranean west of Syria, ship-tracking data showed. The tanker, which was loaded with Iranian crude oil, sent its last signal giving its position between Cyprus and Syria sailing north last Monday afternoon.

The vessel, formerly named Grace 1, was detained by British Royal Marine commandos off Gibraltar on July 4 as it was suspected to be en route to Syria.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said that intelligence suggested the tanker was heading to Tartus, which is a short distance from its last-known position - 45 nautical miles (83km) off the coast of Lebanon and Syria.

Washington had warned any state against assisting the ship, saying it would consider that support for Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. The U.S. Treasury blacklisted the tanker on Friday.

SP/PA