An informed source in London told Iran’s IRNA New Agency that the UK Court of Appeal has agreed to refer the Crescent case to the country’s Supreme Court, effectively delaying the seizure of a historic building owned by Iran’s Oil Industry Pension Fund.
According to the source, who requested anonymity, the decision follows Iran’s appeal against the appeals court’s earlier ruling, and the disagreement between the three judges paved the way for a higher review.
Earlier this month, the UK Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s decision allowing the seizure of the Victoria Street property in favor of Emirati company Crescent Petroleum, which claims the building was transferred to the pension fund to protect its assets from creditors after an international arbitration ruling.
More than 15,000 Iranian oil industry employees and retirees signed an online petition stating that the property was purchased with pension assets and should remain under the fund’s ownership. The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) said it remains committed to pursuing all legal channels to overturn the ruling and protect the assets of its workers.
The long-running Crescent dispute arises from a 2001 gas contract between NIOC and Crescent Petroleum, which has been subject to arbitration and litigation for more than two decades.