<p class="title">British Prime Minister Theresa May chaired an emergency meeting of ministers and security officials on Monday to discuss how to respond after Iran seized a UK-flagged tanker in the Gulf.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the Stena Impero on Friday in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The move came two weeks after British authorities seized an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar on suspicion of breaching sanctions against Syria, and against a backdrop of brinkmanship between Washington and Tehran.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The ship was seized under false and illegal pretences and the Iranians should release it and its crew immediately," May's spokesman told reporters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We do not seek confrontation with Iran but it is unacceptable and highly escalatory to seize a ship going about legitimate business through internationally recognised shipping lanes."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Following criticism over security protection for British-linked ships in the region, the spokesman said the high volume of ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz "makes it impossible to escort vessels individually".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to update parliament later Monday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The EU has condemned Iran's action and Hunt spoke to his French and German counterparts on Sunday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They agreed that "safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is a top priority for European nations while avoiding any possible escalation in the region", a British statement said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tensions in the Gulf have ramped up since May when the US boosted its military presence in response to what it called indications of a "credible threat" from Iran.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The British government had warned its ships to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about a third of the world's sea-borne oil.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But questions are being asked in London about why it was not more proactive in protecting ships after the Gibraltar incident, which provoked fury in Tehran.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The standoff comes at a sensitive time for Britain, with May due to resign on Wednesday over her Brexit strategy, with former foreign minister Boris Johnson the overwhelming favourite to replace her.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Junior defence minister Tobias Ellwood said Sunday that Britain would be looking "at a series of options" on how to respond to Iran's actions.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Iranian authorities said they detained Stena Impero after the tanker failed to respond to distress calls and turned off its transponder after hitting a fishing boat.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But in a letter to the UN Security Council, British charge d'affaires Jonathan Allen accused Tehran of "illegal interference".</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said there was no evidence of a collision and said the vessel had been in Omani waters with its transponder switched on when it was approached.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Iranian authorities have said the fate of the Swedish-owned tanker depends on the cooperation of its crew.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But they insisted the 18 Indians, including the captain, three Russians, a Latvian and a Filipino on board are all in good health and anchored in a safe place.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Iran released video footage showing the tanker being surrounded by speedboats before troops in balaclavas descend a rope from a helicopter onto the vessel.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In an audio recording of a radio exchange obtained by a London-based maritime firm, an Iranian officer can be heard ordering the tanker to change course "immediately".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The British frigate HMS Montrose, which was in the Gulf at the time, intervenes to inform the Stena that its passage must not be impaired under international law.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Iranians reply: "No challenge is intended... I want to inspect the ship for security reason."</p>.<p class="bodytext">European powers have been drawn into an escalating row between the United States and Iran over the Islamic republic' nuclear drive.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tehran has been at loggerheads with Washington since May 2018, when President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a landmark 2015 deal that put curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The US administration reimposed tough sanctions on Iran, which retaliated by increasing its enrichment of uranium beyond limits set in the nuclear accord.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Since May, a number of ships have been sabotaged or attacked in the Gulf, while in June, Trump called off airstrikes against Iran at the last minute after Tehran downed a US drone.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Friday's incident began hours after a Gibraltar court extended by 30 days the detention of the Iranian tanker, Grace 1, seized on July 4. </p>
<p class="title">British Prime Minister Theresa May chaired an emergency meeting of ministers and security officials on Monday to discuss how to respond after Iran seized a UK-flagged tanker in the Gulf.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the Stena Impero on Friday in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The move came two weeks after British authorities seized an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar on suspicion of breaching sanctions against Syria, and against a backdrop of brinkmanship between Washington and Tehran.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The ship was seized under false and illegal pretences and the Iranians should release it and its crew immediately," May's spokesman told reporters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We do not seek confrontation with Iran but it is unacceptable and highly escalatory to seize a ship going about legitimate business through internationally recognised shipping lanes."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Following criticism over security protection for British-linked ships in the region, the spokesman said the high volume of ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz "makes it impossible to escort vessels individually".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to update parliament later Monday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The EU has condemned Iran's action and Hunt spoke to his French and German counterparts on Sunday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They agreed that "safe passage for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is a top priority for European nations while avoiding any possible escalation in the region", a British statement said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tensions in the Gulf have ramped up since May when the US boosted its military presence in response to what it called indications of a "credible threat" from Iran.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The British government had warned its ships to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about a third of the world's sea-borne oil.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But questions are being asked in London about why it was not more proactive in protecting ships after the Gibraltar incident, which provoked fury in Tehran.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The standoff comes at a sensitive time for Britain, with May due to resign on Wednesday over her Brexit strategy, with former foreign minister Boris Johnson the overwhelming favourite to replace her.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Junior defence minister Tobias Ellwood said Sunday that Britain would be looking "at a series of options" on how to respond to Iran's actions.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Iranian authorities said they detained Stena Impero after the tanker failed to respond to distress calls and turned off its transponder after hitting a fishing boat.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But in a letter to the UN Security Council, British charge d'affaires Jonathan Allen accused Tehran of "illegal interference".</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said there was no evidence of a collision and said the vessel had been in Omani waters with its transponder switched on when it was approached.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Iranian authorities have said the fate of the Swedish-owned tanker depends on the cooperation of its crew.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But they insisted the 18 Indians, including the captain, three Russians, a Latvian and a Filipino on board are all in good health and anchored in a safe place.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Iran released video footage showing the tanker being surrounded by speedboats before troops in balaclavas descend a rope from a helicopter onto the vessel.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In an audio recording of a radio exchange obtained by a London-based maritime firm, an Iranian officer can be heard ordering the tanker to change course "immediately".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The British frigate HMS Montrose, which was in the Gulf at the time, intervenes to inform the Stena that its passage must not be impaired under international law.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Iranians reply: "No challenge is intended... I want to inspect the ship for security reason."</p>.<p class="bodytext">European powers have been drawn into an escalating row between the United States and Iran over the Islamic republic' nuclear drive.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tehran has been at loggerheads with Washington since May 2018, when President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a landmark 2015 deal that put curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The US administration reimposed tough sanctions on Iran, which retaliated by increasing its enrichment of uranium beyond limits set in the nuclear accord.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Since May, a number of ships have been sabotaged or attacked in the Gulf, while in June, Trump called off airstrikes against Iran at the last minute after Tehran downed a US drone.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Friday's incident began hours after a Gibraltar court extended by 30 days the detention of the Iranian tanker, Grace 1, seized on July 4. </p>