TEHRAN 18 Jul (ANA) - Iran's state TV channel has said its Revolutionary Guard forces (IRGC) have seized a foreign oil tanker in the Gulf with 12 crew on board.

The vessel is accused of trying to smuggle one million litres of fuel and was seized in Larak island on Sunday, state media said.

There is no information yet on the origin or the final destination of the oil tanker. 

But it comes after a series of incidents in the Gulf have led to an increase of tensions between Tehran and the UK and US.

Last week, Iranian boats days tried to impede a British oil tanker before being seen off by a Royal Navy frigate in the Strait of Hormuz.

The UK's naval alert was then raised to its highest level in the region, with British-flagged ships notified that Iranian waters were considered a level three – or “critical” – security environment.

This appeared to come as a retaliation to British Royal Marines capturing an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar, on suspicion that it was ferrying its cargo of 2.1 million barrels of crude oil to Syria, in contravention of European sanctions.(ANA)

FA/ANA/18 July 2019------