Amid heightened tension in the region, a British oil tanker was reportedly seized by Iran.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim that they seized a British oil tanker, the Stena Impero, on Friday. The ship's owners said in a statement that it had been “approached by unidentified small crafts and a helicopter during transit of the Strait of Hormuz while the vessel was in international waters.”

The 30,000-ton ship bound for Saudi Arabia abruptly veered off course and into Iranian waters according to tracking data.

The British government said it was assessing the situation following the reports. The Ministry of Defense emphasized that it had ships in the area, but hasn't provided further details on exactly what happened.

The news comes a day after the U.S. says it “destroyed” an Iranian drone. Tensions in the Middle East have continued to escalate in recent weeks. Last month, the U.S. planned airstrikes against Iranian facilities in response to the downing of a U.S. drone, but Trump reportedly called off the attack in the last minutes, citing possible loss of life.

UK-flagged tanker Stena Impera now heading for the Iranian island Qeshm. I'd say it has been hijacked... pic.twitter.com/MLbtWMnMUm — Hans de Vreij (@hdevreij) July 19, 2019





Statement from Stena Impero management company: 23 seafarers on board. They are unable to contact the vessel pic.twitter.com/bBPYgoaJuz — Julia Macfarlane (@juliamacfarlane) July 19, 2019

UK Defence Ministry: “We are urgently seeking further information and assessing the situation following reports of an incident in the Gulf.” https://t.co/tQ3ngAj7ZL — NBC News (@NBCNews) July 19, 2019



An emergency meeting is reportedly underway in the UK over the international incident.



NEW: A #UK-flagged oil tanker, the "Stena Impero," has 'gone dark' after diverting towards #Iran waters amid a "hostile action" by #IRGC elements.



Sources say the vessel now appears to be headed towards an #IRGC facility in Qeshm, #Iran.



Emergency #UK security meeting underway. pic.twitter.com/zqjkvwJTiR — Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) July 19, 2019



There have been no reported injuries from the crew, and the company that owns the ship said that "safety is the primary concern to both owners and managers."



BREAKING: British-flagged oil tanker was seized in international waters with 23 crew members on board, company says pic.twitter.com/UVJjgQB4Hb — BNO News (@BNONews) July 19, 2019



The British government is working to determine the nationality of the 23 crew members on board the ship.

British government urgently trying to find out nationality of crew onboard — Alistair Bunkall (@AliBunkallSKY) July 19, 2019



U.S. National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis said in a statement that the NSC is aware of the situation and that "the U.S. will continue to work with our allies and partners to defend our security and interests against Iran's malign behavior.



NEW: U.S. National Security Council says it is aware of reports of the seized U.K. tanker and is working "with our allies...to defend our security interests" https://t.co/txjjVscevB pic.twitter.com/dg7k9Tt0CH — CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) July 19, 2019



Oil prices rose sharply after news of the seizure and stocks began to dip in reaction to the incident.



BREAKING: Oil jumps as Iran claims to have seized a British-flagged tanker near the Strait of Hormuz; company that owns the ship says it is currently unable to reach it. https://t.co/txjjVscevB pic.twitter.com/oh2gQMPtfT — CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) July 19, 2019



President Trump addressed the seizure briefly to reporters. He touted the "close alliance" the two countries share and said the U.S. would be talking to the United Kingdom about the incident.

"This only goes to show what I'm saying about Iran. Trouble. Nothing but trouble," he said. "It goes to show you I was right about Iran."

He added that the "U.S. has very few tankers going in because we’re using a lot of our own energy."

UPDATE:

A second ship has been seized by Iran. Visit this link for continuing coverage.