Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a threat of retaliation against the United Kingdom's move to seize an Iranian tanker. He said that the Islamic Republic (of Iran) and its 'committed forces' won't leave the 'evil without a response'. The UK had seized a ship off the coast of Gibraltar over suspicion that it was violating sanctions on Syria. According to reports, UK's foreign secretary had said that the Iranian vessel would be released if Tehran guarantees that EU sanctions on Syria aren't breached.