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Commander Will King said the HMS Montrose had been involved in 115 separate confrontations with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Gulf since the start of July. He said the Iranian military used fast attack craft and drones to “intimidate” his ship as Tehran carried out a “continuous intent to disrupt or interfere with UK interests in the area”.

It was almost like some rather sick competition Commander Will King

HMS Montrose, a Type 23 frigate, was sent to patrol the strategic waters after the UK-flagged Stena Impero was seized by the Iranians six weeks ago. The IRGC responded by beefing up its coastal defence systems and aiming cruise missiles in the direction of HMS Montrose. It has also emerged that the elite force was given clearance to use live rounds against the British warship during the Stena Impero episode.

HMS Montrose is in almost daily confrontation with Iranian forces

An officer on HMS Montrose said: "We had reasons to believe they were ready for a fight that night." The British vessel reached the territorial water boundary 45 minutes too late to prevent the tanker’s capture and was unable to give chase. Commander King described the “soul-destroying” moment he arrived too late to help the UK tanker and heard his Iranian counterpart gloating over the ship’s radio: “She’s mine now!” Commander King said: “It was almost like some rather sick competition.” READ MORE: Iran news: Audio recording reveals showdown

Commandos from Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard storm the Stena Impero

Iranian gunboats surround the UK-flagged tanker

The IRGC navy sent seven fast attack craft and a helicopter to seize Stena Impero. Iranian commandos abseiled from the helicopter and boarded the UK vessel, forcing it to steer due north into Iranian waters. The Stena Impero is still being held in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas

HMS Montrose was sent to the Gulf to protect British shipping

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“I can confirm that the UK is actively considering bolstering the air surveillance capabilities in theatre “It could be a drone, it could be a maritime patrol aircraft, it could be a helicopter on the back of the ship, it could be a ship.” One option is to divert Reaper drones to the Gulf from their current surveillance missions on ISIS movement in Syria and Iraq

Iran naval commanders taunted their Royal Navy counterparts over the tanker's seizure