(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday evening that the release of the Iranian oil tanker "Grace 1" that was held in Gibraltar is "very unfortunate."
In an interview with Fox News, Pompeo stressed "itآ's unfortunate that that happened. These are oil profits that, when this is ultimately sold somewhere into the market, that will run back to the Qasem Soleimani and the Iranian Qods Force, their elite forces that have sown terror and destruction and killed Americans all around the world."
"If theyآ're successful, and we hope that theyآ're ultimately not, but if theyآ're successful, theyآ'll have more money, more wealth, more resources to continue their terror campaign, to continue their assassination campaign in Europe," he stressed.
He reiterated "this is what weآ're trying to stop, so itآ's very unfortunate that that ship was released."
The Iranian oil supertanker, which was seized by the UK, moved away from Gibraltar on Sunday where it had been impounded for over a month. It set sail despite a warrant issued by a US federal court for the seizure of the tanker on grounds that it violated international law. (end)
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