Royal Navy intercepts Iranian boats as they attempt to seize British Tanker

The UK Ministry of Defence has said that Royal Navy ship the HMS Montrose, a type 23 frigate, intercepted three boats belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) as they tried to seize the British Oil Tanker, British Heritage as it sailed out of the Gulf into the Strait of Hormuz, in an act described as being "contrary to International law".

A spokesman has confirmed that weapon systems aboard HMS Montrose were trained on the Iranian boats as they were ordered to back off, however, they heeded the warning and no shots were fired.

While Iran has threatened to retaliate for the seizure of one of its own "flagged" tankers off the coast of Gibraltar by the Royal navy supported by Royal Marines last week, it has vehemently denied that it was their vessels that were involved in the incident.