"Chains away" - Iranian ship flees detention in Sri Lanka.

"Chains away" - Iranian ship flees detention in Sri Lanka.(Reuters) - An Iranian-flagged cargo ship has fled Sri Lanka's waters after weeks of detention by its navy, acting on a court order obtained by Germany's DVB Bank, officials and a lawyer acting for the bank said on Thursday.
The Sri Lankan navy last week fired warning shots to prevent the MV Amina from leaving but said that late on Wednesday the vessel made its departure in rough seas.
"If the ship is beyond 12 nautical miles from our shores, then we can't do anything according to U.N. laws, unless the ship has committed crimes in our country," Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said.
"We tried to communicate and asked her to stop, but without responding to anything, she had gone."
This bank's attempt to seize ships to settle claims of millions of dollars in unpaid debts shows the growing difficulties facing Iran's fleet, which the Islamic Republic relies on for trade.
"The Iranians are having an increasingly hard time, especially with their oil revenues hit by sanctions," a ship industry source said. "Their fleet will face more heat, with the U.S. increasingly watching their every move." Western sanctions have cut Iran's oil revenues by half in the last year and battered the economy as the rial has crashed in value. They aim to starve Tehran of funds that might be channeled into expensive nuclear weapons programmes, but Iran says its atomic work is for peaceful purposes.
"The ship Amina has broken the arrest; that is a very unusual move," a DVB Bank spokeswoman said. "DVB is in talks with IRISL to find out how to further proceed now."
The Amina is managed by Tehran-based Rahbaran Omid Darya Ship Management, which the European Union and United States have said is a front for Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), Iran's biggest cargo carrier.
IRISL has faced Western sanctions for years based on accusations of transporting weapons, a charge it denies.
The DVB spokeswoman said the bank was seeking to seize two more Iranian ships after obtaining an order from a Singapore court.
"The bank is trying to recoup as much as they can. I would imagine the repayment process will be complex," a second ship industry source said.
IRISL officials told Reuters earlier on Thursday the ship was owned by a private company and that they could not discuss the matter. Rahbaran Omid Darya Ship Management could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday.Hmmmm......Meanwhile Obama's BFF Turkey does Gold and Gas business with Iran as usual.Read the full story here.