A Royal Navy warship has rebuffed an attempt by Iran to “impede” the passage of a British oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, escalating already high tensions in the Gulf.

In apparent retaliation for the seizure of an Iranian vessel by the UK last week, three Iranian gunships tried to disrupt the journey of the British Heritage, owned by energy group BP, through one of the world’s most important oil transportation routes, UK officials said.

The incident on Wednesday came on the same day that Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, warned the UK that it would face “consequences” for impounding the Iranian tanker, the Grace 1. It will raise concerns within the oil industry about commercial vessels being targeted in the Gulf — six tankers were hit by sabotage attacks off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in May and June.