Britain says it fended off Iranian attempt to block its oil tanker

Iran dismisses British report; Trump vows harsher sanctions on Iran soon

Three Iranian vessels tried to block a British-owned tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but backed off when confronted by a Royal Navy warship, Britain said on Thursday.

Exactly a week after Britain seized an Iranian tanker accused of violating sanctions on Syria, London said the British Heritage tanker operated by oil company BP had been approached in the strait, main outlet for Middle Eastern oil.

"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