Iran warns U.S. against seizing released Iranian oil tanker

Iran has warned the United States against any new attempt to seize an Iranian oil tanker in open seas after it left Gibraltar, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on state television Monday.

The Iranian tanker caught in a standoff between Tehran and the West was sailing to Greece Monday after leaving Gibraltar, shipping data showed, hours after the British territory rejected a U.S. request to detain the vessel further.

Asked whether the United States could renew its seizure request after the tanker sailed from Gibraltar, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said: "Such an action ... would endanger shipping safety in open seas. We have issued a warning through official channels, especially the Swiss embassy."

Switzerland represents U.S. interests in Iran which has no diplomatic relations with the United States.