Iranian ships "harassed" British tanker in the Gulf

(Patria) – Five ships believed to belong to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard approached a British oil tanker in the Gulf on Wednesday, demanding that it stop in nearby Iranian waters, but they retreated after being warned by a British warship, US officials said, reports Euronews portal.

The British Ministry of Defence has not commented on the allegations.

The incident occurred almost a week after British marines boarded an Iranian tanker, Grace 1, and seized it on suspicion of violating sanctions by transporting oil to Syria.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated that Great Britain would suffer "consequences" for the seizure of the tanker.

Tensions between Iran on one side and the US and its allies on the other have risen since Washington tightened economic sanctions against Iran as part of its "maximum pressure" policy. Iran responded to the sanctions by violating nuclear activity limits set by the agreement Iran signed with world powers in 2015.

US officials state that the incident occurred while the tanker British Heritage was at the northern entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.

"HMS Montrose, which was also there, aimed its guns at the ships and warned them via radio, after which they dispersed," said one of the officials, while another commented that it was "harassment and an attempt to prevent passage.".

The US hopes to gain allies for a military coalition that will protect strategic waters from Iran and Yemen, said US Marine General Joseph Dunford.