Five and a half months after their early engagement Iran in two Greek tankers were released simultaneously with the detention of a tanker with Iranian oil in Greece. The unprecedented detention of Greek-flagged ships and their 49 sailors, 16 of whom are Greeks, required a coordinated effort by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Shipping and, according to the information, the Prime Minister’s Office to put an end to it. “Prudent Warrior” as well as “Delta of Poseidon” who have been held hostage since May 27, 2022 in the port of Bandar Abbas until the release of the Iranian oil cargo seized by the United States in Greece, approximately $ 5 million in profits slipped away due to their forced absence from the shipping market, according to to sources cited by the prestigious international shipping survey Lloyd’s List. They could only be compensated for this lost profit if they had insurance against the so-called loss of employment. Their crews usually received money from the companies, but not for the mental anguish that such a long period of being held hostage entails, comments Akti Miaoulis circles. As for the prospect of demanding compensation from Iran, the Greek shipping companies, according to the same sources, pledged in writing not to do so in order to release the sailors and their ships.

“A happy ending”

Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Yiannis Plakiotakis, in his public statements, warmly thanked the sailors of the ships “for the patience and trust they have shown in us during all the past difficult days, as well as the shipowning companies of the two ships, for their cooperation”, as well as “everyone who contributed to a happy ending.” “From the very first moment, the Greek government has made great efforts to achieve a happy ending,” he notes. This is a thriller that began in mid-April, when the Russian, as it turned out, tanker Lana with Iranian oil was seized in Greece.

What does the agreement between Greece and Iran give, what happens with compensation – Why warships escort tankers.

Two and a half months later, Delta Poseidon of Delta Tankers, owned by D. Diamantidis, and Prudent Warrior of Polembros Shipping, representing the interests of the Polemis family, were forcibly diverted from international waters into the Persian Gulf on May 27 , Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps forces in response to a US attempt to seize Iranian oil from the Lana, which was still held in Greece. Both the Lana and the two Greek tankers sailed, escorted by Greek and Iranian warships respectively, as part of an agreement to protect Iranian cargo to their final destination, which is reportedly Istanbul. The original Greek court decision, which allowed the US to confiscate the Lana cargo and provoked a tough Iranian response, was overturned by a higher court decision.

As for the agreement with Iran and the information linking the months-long delay to other issues open to Tehran besides the oil cargo, diplomatic sources say they are incorrect and the agreement only concerns the release of the ships and their sailors. A few weeks ago, Iranian authorities allowed Greek shipping companies to change crew on both tankers. With the exception of a number of Filipino sailors who volunteered to stay on the ships, most of the 49 sailors, 16 of whom are Greeks, who were abducted along with their ships in May, have already been repatriated, according to Lloyd’s List.