Iranian boats ‘tried to intercept British tanker’ Armed Iranian boats are reported to have tried to intercept a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz – before being driven off by a Royal Navy ship.  Media reports quoting US officials said the tanker was asked to stop in Iranian waters close by, but the boats withdrew after a warning from the UK’s frigate.  Iran has been threatening to retaliate for the seizure of one of its tankers near Gibraltar last week. The Pentagon said it was aware of the reports but the MoD has not commented. According to the reports, five boats believed to belong to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps approached the British Heritage tanker as it was moving out of the Gulf.  Last week, British Royal Marines helped the authorities in Gibraltar seize an Iranian oil tanker because of evidence it was heading to Syria in breach of EU sanctions. In response, an Iranian official said a British oil tanker should be seized if its detained ship was not released.  Iran also summoned the British ambassador in Tehran to complain about what it said was a “form of piracy”. And on Wednesday Iranian President Hassan Rouhani mocked the UK, calling it “scared” and “hopeless” for using Royal Navy warships to shadow a British tanker in the Gulf. HMS Monrose had shadowed British tanker the Pacific Voyager for some of the way through the Strait of Hormuz, but that journey passed without incident. This latest row comes at a time of escalating tensions between the US and Iran. The Trump administration – which has pulled out of an international agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme – has reinforced punishing sanctions against Iran.  Its European allies, including the UK, have not followed suit. Nonetheless, the relationship between the UK and Iran has also become increasingly strained, after Britain said the Iranian regime was “almost certainly” responsible for the attacks on two oil tankers in June. The UK has also been pressing Iran to release British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was jailed for five years in 2016 after being convicted for spying, which she denies. read more

A Royal Navy ship reportedly aimed its guns at Iranian boats after they attempted to seize a British oil tanker.  HMS Montrose was escorting the British Heritage tanker through the Persian Gulf when the stand-off with five Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats took place on Wednesday, according to CNN.  It is claimed the boats told the tanker to change course and enter Iran’s territorial waters, with a US aircraft recording the incident.  HMS Montrose, which was trailing the tanker, then trained its guns on the Iranian vessels and warned them to back off.  The Iranian boats obeyed the frigate’s instructions, which were issued over the radio.  One US official told Reuters: “The Royal Navy HMS Montrose, which was also there, pointed its guns at the boats and warned them over radio, at which point they dispersed.”  Another official added: “It was harassment and an attempt to interfere with the passage.”  Britain’s Ministry of Defence had no immediate comment.  Thirty British commandos stormed an Iranian oil tanker bound for Syria last week, prompting Iran’s President to threaten the UK with retaliatory action.  Speaking on state television on Wednesday, President Hassan Rouhani said: “You (Britain) are the initiator of insecurity and you will realise the consequences later.  “Now you are so hopeless that, when one of your tankers wants to move in the region, you have to bring your frigates (to escort it) because you are scared. Then why do you commit such acts (seizure)? You should instead allow navigation to be safe.”  Iran was accused of attacks on six tankers either in or near the Strait of Hormuz in the last few months.  The US and Saudi Arabia, its major ally in the Middle East, blamed Iran for the incidents, although Tehran denied responsibility.  Tensions between Iran and the US increased last month when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down an American drone. read more

A Royal Navy ship reportedly aimed its guns at Iranian boats after they attempted to seize a British oil tanker.   HMS Montrose was escorting the British Heritage tanker through the Persian Gulf when the stand-off with five Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats took place on Wednesday, according to CNN.  It is claimed the boats told the tanker to change course and enter Iran’s territorial waters, with a US aircraft recording the incident.  HMS Montrose, which was trailing the tanker, then trained its guns on the Iranian vessels and warned them to back off.  The Iranian boats obeyed the frigate’s instructions, which were issued over the radio.  Thirty British commandos stormed an Iranian oil tanker bound for Syria last week, prompting Iran’s President to threaten the UK with retaliatory action.  Britain’s Ministry of Defence had no immediate comment.   Iran was accused of attacks on six tankers either in or near the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Oman and Persian gulfs, in the last few months.  The US and Saudi Arabia, its major ally in the Middle East, blamed Iran for the incidents, although Tehran denied responsibility. read more

A Royal Navy ship reportedly aimed its guns at Iranian boats after they attempted to seize a British oil tanker.   HMS Montrose was escorting the British Heritage tanker through the Persian Gulf when the stand-off with five Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats took place on Wednesday, according to CNN.  It is claimed the boats told the tanker to change course and enter Iran’s territorial waters, with a US aircraft recording the incident.  HMS Montrose, which was trailing the tanker, then trained its guns on the Iranian vessels and warned them to back off.  The Iranian boats obeyed the frigate’s instructions, which were issued over the radio.  Britain’s Ministry of Defence had no immediate comment.   Thirty British commandos stormed an Iranian oil tanker bound for Syria last week, prompting Iran’s President to threaten the UK with retaliatory action.  Iran was accused of attacks on six tankers either in or near the Strait of Hormuz in the last few months.  The US and Saudi Arabia, its major ally in the Middle East, blamed Iran for the incidents, although Tehran denied responsibility.  Tensions between Iran and the US increased last month when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down an American drone. Royal Navy ship ‘points guns at Iranian boats trying to seize British tanker’ – Daily News read more