Bahrain strongly condemned on Friday Iran after its vessels tried and failed to intercept a British commercial oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Slamming the “hostile” act, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said it reflected “Iran’s determination to undermine peace and security and endanger maritime navigation.” It expressed Bahrain’s “unequivocal solidarity” with the United Kingdom, stressing the need for Iran “to halt its hostile acts that undermine security in the Gulf region,” read a statement released by the Bahrain news agency (BNA). It also called on Iran to “adopt an approach of de-escalation, transparency and credibility and to refrain from using threats and intimidation and abide by international laws and treaties relating to maritime safety to maintain international peace and security.” A week after Britain seized an Iranian tanker accused of violating sanctions on Syria, London said the British Heritage, operated by oil company BP, had been approached in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the Arabian peninsula. “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 urged Iran to “de-escalate the situation in the region”.