The British-owned territory is embroiled in a bitter feud with Madrid, who claim the Grace 1 oil tanker from Iran was intercepted at the request of the US. Spain has condemned the act because it says the waters that surround the Rock belong to them, while the UK continues to dispute such a claim according to The Guardian. Josep Borell, Spain’s acting foreign minister, raged: “We are studying the circumstances and looking at how this affects our sovereignty.”

The Gibraltar government argued: “There has been no political request at any time from any government that the Gibraltar government should act or not act.”

It added the seizure was a joint operation between Gibraltar and the Royal Marines “as a direct result only of it having reasonable grounds to believe that the vessel was acting in breach of established EU sanctions against Syria”.

The intervention was enthusiastically hailed a success by US President Donald Trump.

John Bolton, the US national security adviser, tweeted: “Excellent news: UK has detained the supertanker Grace 1 laden with Iranian oil bound for Syria in violation of EU sanctions.

“America and our allies will continue to prevent regimes in Tehran and Damascus from profiting off this illicit trade.”

UK sources said the vessel will remain seized for several weeks.

Though the exact source of Grace 1’s ownership is unknown, Tehran has said the ship came from Iran.

British ambassador to Tehran, Rob Macaire, was summoned to explain why the ship has been seized.

Mehr news agency was told by an Iranian official: “This is the very bullying policy of the US, about which the European countries have been always protesting.”

The same source said the seizure was “tantamount to banditry”.

Gibraltar authorities were reported to have questioned all 28 crew members on board.

They were from India, the Ukraine and Pakistan.

Iran has now threaten to seize a British ship in return.

former leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Mohsen Rezaei said: “If England does not release the Iranian oil tanker, the duty … [of Iran] is to respond and seize one English oil tanker.”

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