Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeated a threat against the UK after it seized a VLCC allegedly carrying Iranian crude.

The 301,000-dwt Ukrainian-owned Grace 1 (built 1997) remains under detention in Gibraltar.

“Evil Britain commits piracy and steals our ship ... and gives it a legal appearance," Reuters reported him as saying.

"The Islamic Republic ... will not leave this wickedness unanswered and will respond to it at an appropriate time and place.”