The demand for more action to be taken against the Ayatollahs, the high-ranking religious leaders in Iran, comes after talks were held in Vienna to salvage the Iran nuclear deal amid the rising tensions over tankers in the Gulf. In the last few weeks, tensions have increased after Iran and Britain seized oil tankers from each other and Iran has also admitted breaching restrictions on its production of enriched uranium, which could be used to make nuclear bombs. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the UK’s seizure of Tehran’s vessel an act of “piracy”.

He also warned the UK that Iran would take revenge for the detention of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar.

Now, prominent Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan has demanded the UK Government take firm action against the Middle Eastern power.

Writing in The Telegraph, he said: “The ayatollahs can hardly be blamed for trying their hand.

“From the moment they seized power in 1979, they have shown utter contempt for the accepted rules of national sovereignty, yet have paid little price.”

He also said: “In the end, they cannot be dealt with through normal diplomatic methods: they need to be confronted and beaten. No, I don’t like it either. But some truths have to be faced.”

Mr Hannan, who is the MEP for South East England, said “non-escalation can have a cost” pointing out that “Iran is behaving this way at a time when Britain and other European states have loosened their economic sanctions as part of the anti-nuclear accord stuck in 2015”.

Mr Hannan claimed that “unilateral de-escalation” could even be “provocative”.

Tehran’s supreme leader, Mr Khamenei, has said “Iran will respond to the vicious Britain’s piracy” and “will come at the right time and the right place”.

The Middle East country has also said Iran will “certainly continue to reduce its commitments” to the nuclear deal with the West.

Following Iran’s seizure of a UK flagged tanker in revenge for the capture of their own vessel, Britain has sent two Royal Navy warship to the Gulf in a bid to protect British ships travelling in the region.

The Defence Secretary at the time of the ships’ deployment, Penny Morduant, said it is “vital we send a very clear message” to Tehran following a strain in diplomatic relations.

Earlier this month, British Royal Marines helped to seize the Iranian tanker Grace 1 near Gibraltar which they suspected of breaking EU sanctions.

In response, Tehran threatened to capture a British oil tanker and the British oil tanker Stena Impero was seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in the key shipping route.

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