The Adrian Darya 1 was tracked heading towards Syria before it apparently turned off its transponder

The Iranian oil tanker released after being held for five weeks in Gibraltar has disappeared from tracking radar off the coast of Syria, prompting fears it will offload its oil there.

The Adrian Darya 1, which was named the Grace 1 when it was boarded and impounded by Royal Marines in the Mediterranean in July, was tracked heading north towards Syria while off the coast of northern Lebanon last night. It then “went dark”, suggesting that it had turned off its transponder or satellite tracking device.

Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, had warned that it was heading for the Syrian port of Tartous, despite the supposed terms of a deal when it was released under which the Iranians promised not to deliver