July 11 (Reuters) - A Chevron ( CVX )-chartered oil tanker that

was seized by Iran more than a year ago was heading for

international waters on Thursday, LSEG ship tracking data

showed.

The Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet was boarded by

Iran's military in the Gulf of Oman in April 2023 after an

alleged collision with an Iranian boat.

The U.S. State Department welcomed reports that the vessel

has been released and again condemned the Iranian regime's

unlawful seizure of the vessel from international waters, an

agency spokesperson said. The State Department in March had

called for the immediate release of the tanker.

There was no immediate comment from Chevron ( CVX ) or Iranian

officials on Thursday.

The movement of the Advantage Sweet appeared to coincide

with the reported conclusion of a court case that Iranian

state-linked media have linked to the tanker.

In March this year, an Iranian court found in favour of

patients who had sued the U.S. government over sanctions which

they said stopped Iran importing medicine for a rare skin

disease, causing deaths and suffering.

After the ruling, Iranian authorities said they would unload

about $50 million worth of crude from the Advantage Sweet, the

semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The report did not specify whether Iran's seizure of the

tanker's oil would contribute to any compensation for the

patients.

On Thursday, an Iranian court reached a final ruling in the

case, ordering the U.S. government and officials to pay $6.8

billion over the sanctions, the Iranian judiciary's Mizan news

agency reported.