The UK has said it did not take its eye off the ball over the seizure of a UK-flagged oil tanker in Gulf.
Talking to BBC, the chancellor Philip Hammond said the UK has been working closely with US and European partners in response to Iran's actions.
Meanwhile, ex-Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith has said British-flagged tanker Stena Impero's capture is a "major failure" for the UK.
On the other hand, Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said only prudence and foresight would reduce tensions between Iran and Britain.