Cyprus: Iran ship breached export ban

[Fozzledick]

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
NICOSIA, Cyprus

A ship detained off Cyprus has breached a UN ban on Iranian arms exports, Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou said Tuesday.

But Kyprianou refused to specify what had been found on the Cypriot-flagged Monchegorsk, which US officials suspect was delivering arms to Hamas in Gaza.

Kyprianou said Cyprus will decide what to do with the cargo once the search of all containers aboard the ship is completed.

Cyprus inspected the Monchegorsk twice after it arrived January 29 under suspicion of ferrying weapons from Iran to Hamas in Gaza. It remains anchored off the port of Limassol under tight security.

Returning the shipment to Iran has been ruled out, but Kyprianou said possible options include confiscating and storing it in Cyprus or another country.

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