Government raises shipping security threat level after Iranian boats ‘tried to intercept British tanker’

The Defence Secretary Penny Maudaunt has urged Iran to de-escalate the situation in the Persian Gulf.

Tensions between Britain and Iran reached a peak yesterday when Iranian vessels tried to block a BP oil tanker from travelling through the Straits of Hormuz but were seen off by a Royal Navy frigate.

The UK raised the threat level to shipping in waters near Iran to “critical” earlier this week.