Did the Maersk Tigris transport the S-300 System to Iran?

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Did the Maersk Tigris transport the S-300 System to Iran? (MFS).

As i said before it bothers me that Iran went all this length stopping the vessel in international waters, and then suddenly out of the blue release the vessel without payment.

#MaerskTigris managed by Rickmers Trust, who have told #LloydsList vessel was in international waters when captured

— David Osler (@finance_LL) April 28, 2015

On 03 April the Maersk Tigris was in the Russian Black sea port of Novorossiysk, It stayed three days in that port.

The Maersk Tigris is not owned by the Danish shipping giant. Maersk had chartered the vessel, which is owned by Singapore’s Rickmer Shipmanagement.


Iranian defense minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan left Tehran to Moscow on April 15 Th to sign a deal for receiving Russian-made S-300 missiles.


The Maers Tigriss was taken to the port Bandar Abbas.

Iran's official news agency IRNA reports that the seizure of the Maersk Tigris was because of an outstanding warrant by an Iranian court against the Maersk shipping lines.

IRNA said the warrant was issued after a private Iranian company had filed a claim that Maersk owed money to the company.

The explanation offered by IRNA creates more questions than answers.

The IRGC Navy is sent to intercept and seize a cargo ship at the Strait of Hormuz to enforce a civil law suit by an private company in Iran against a shipping giant during a tense period in the region. Highly unusual, indeed!

According to the Navigation and Ports Organization public relations bureau, the decree was issued upon a complaint lodged by a private company named 'Pars-Talaeeyeh Oil Products Company' manager Hamid Reza Jahanian against MAERSK Shipping Line.

Hamid Reza Jahanian, the managing director of the company said May 6 that the ship and its cargo would be sold unless the Danish shipping company pays $10 million in losses that his company has suffered.

On April 28 Iranian forces boarded the ship after firing warning shots across the bridge and later took it to Bandar Abbas, the main port of Iran's navy, under escort by Iranian patrol boats.

Danish shipping company Maersk Line, which chartered the container ship from Rickmers Ship Management in Singapore, insisted it had no "special cargo" such as military equipment. 

Iran’s seizure clearly violates international law, and one might add, a branch of international law that is ordinarily well-respected, and quite fundamental for global commerce. Moreover, no maritime lien gives Iran any authority to detain the crew.

Given the flagrant breach of international law, there seems to be a surprising silence from the “international community” and proponents of global governance.

Another fact worth mentioning is that Vladislav Menshikov, the CEO of S-300 air defense systems manufacturer Almaz-Antei, said in August 2013 that Russia has dismantled and disposed the S-300 air defense missile systems originally intended for delivery to Iran and the fact is that Russia doesn't produce S-300 any more, updating the old agreement is a confusing issue and might imply delivering more advanced S-400 missile systems to Iran.

However, leaving the old agreement unchanged may mean that Russia wants to deliver the ready S-300 systems which is currently used by its own army to Iran.

Hmmm......This is speculation from my side, but the whole story bothers me, i have the gut feeling there's more to it. I can't help wondering what went on in that Iranian port?

@EjmAlrai I can't help but wonder if there's more going on then meet the eye? Was anything unloaded? pic.twitter.com/gxGqWFdZQR

— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) May 7, 2015