Iran captures UK tanker: Hunt says there will be ‘serious consequences’ if Revolutionary Guard does not return control of British ship

Relations between the US, UK and Iran have been worsening since Mr Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal last spring.

The deal was designed to monitor Tehran’s nuclear industry, while readmitting it to international markets and lifting sanctions.

When Mr Trump went ahead and unilaterally pulled the US out, something he had vowed to do during the presidential campaign, he also reimposed a series of stringent sanctions that have targeted Iran’s oil industry and made it difficult for it to trade with other nations.

Twice this year, the US has accused Iran of attacking ships in the Gulf, accusations Iran has denied. Last month, Iran shot down a US drone it said had entered Iranian airspace. Yesterday, the US shot down an Iranian drone. You can read that story here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trump-iran-drone-us-navy-shot-down-uss-boxer-strait-of-hormuz-a9011481.html

British Royal Marines impounded the supertanker Grace I off the coast of Gibraltar earlier this month on suspicion of violating EU sanctions by taking crude oil to Syria.

On top of this there is frustration within Iran that Britain and other members of the EU who signed the 2015 nuclear deal, have failed to support its economy as the impact of US sanctions bites.

In its own piece of sabre-rattling, Iran said this month it had exceeded the 300 kg limit on low-enriched uranium set by the nuclear deal it made with the six world powers.

Some thoughts from Britain's former top naval commander, and the BBC's defence correspondent 

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Julian Lewis, chair of the UK Commons defence committee, said: “It was entirely predictable that the Iranian regime—hostage-takers from the outset of their revolution in 1979—would try to seize any British-flagged ship in response to our boarding and impounding of their vessel believed to be in breach of anti-Syrian sanctions.  It is surprising that they’ve apparently been allowed to succeed, so we and our US allies must urgently consult on an effective joint response."

Some thoughts on who acted first: 

Brazil's state oil company has refused to supply two Iranian ships anchored in the southern port of Parana because they belong to a company sanctioned by the United States.According to a statement from Petrobras, the ships hired by an Iranian export company appear on a list of the US government's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

"If Petrobras supplies the ships, it runs the risk of being sanctioned and included on the same list and suffer serious harm," the statement said.