LONDON: Three Iranian vessels tried to block a British-owned tanker passing through the strait that controls the flow of Middle East oil to the world, but backed off when confronted by a Royal Navy warship, Britain said on Thursday.

A week after Britain seized an Iranian tanker accused of violating sanctions on Syria, London said the British Heritage, operated by oil company BP, had been approached in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the Arabian peninsula.

“HMS Montrose was forced to position herself between the Iranian vessels and British Heritage and issue verbal warnings to the Iranian vessels, which then turned away,” a British government spokesman said in a statement. It urged Iran to “de-escalate the situation in the region”.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed as “worthless” the allegation that Iran sought to block the ship.

The United States blames Iran for a series of attacks on shipping in the world’s most important oil artery since mid-May, accusations Tehran rejects. The foes came as close as ever to direct military conflict last month, when Iran shot down a US drone and Trump ordered retaliatory air strikes, only to call them off minutes before impact.

Britain stepped forcefully into the crisis when its Royal Marines seized the Iranian tanker Grace 1 off the coast of Gibraltar last week. Iranian officials have since been quoted as suggesting Iran might retaliate against British shipping.

A British security source said London had already raised its threat warning level for British ships in Iranian waters to the highest possible category earlier this week, although it did not plan to escort every British-flagged vessel through the strait. Britain would defend its maritime interests but was not trying to escalate the situation with Iran, the source said.

Police in the British territory Gibraltar said on Thursday they had arrested the captain and chief officer of the detained Iranian Grace 1 supertanker accused of violating EU sanctions on Syria and seized documents and electronic devices from the ship.

“I’d expect the Iranians to continue to seek opportunities to harass and obstruct without sliding into war,” said Jon Alterman director of the Middle East Programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

A spokesman for the US military’s Central Command said threats to navigation require an international solution: “The world economy depends on the free flow of commerce, and it is incumbent on all nations to protect and preserve this lynchpin of global prosperity,” said Captain Bill Urban.

Bob Sanguinetti, chief executive with the UK Chamber of Shipping trade association, said the situation was tense and called for a de-escalation. “UK shipowners are in regular contact with the relevant authorities and agencies regarding the security situation in the region, and we are confident that the RN [Royal Navy] will provide the necessary support to their vessels,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2019