Iranian state media has released images of crew members on a British-flagged tanker that was seized in the Gulf.

Video footage and a photo appear to show cooks preparing meals and crew members being briefed by an Iranian official onboard the Stena Impero.

A meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee has been held after Downing Street called the seizure "unacceptable and highly escalatory".

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told MPs it was an act of "state piracy".

Jeremy Hunt calls the seizure of the Stena Impero “state piracy"

It comes amid reports that ministers are considering freezing Iranian assets.

The images, published by Fars and Irib news agencies, appear to show some of the 23 crew members - who are Indian, Russian, Latvian and Filipino - holding meetings and monitoring their computer systems.

During one "meeting" a uniformed crew member tells others: "Don't look at the camera."

Making a statement to MPs in the Commons, the foreign secretary announced plans for the UK to help to develop a maritime protection mission in the Gulf.

Mr Hunt said he spoke with a "heavy heart" but if Iran continued to act as it had, it would have to accept a "larger Western military presence" along its coastline.

The protection force to be created by European countries would not include the US because, Mr Hunt insisted, Britain was not part of President Trump's policy of "maximum pressure" on Tehran.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News the "responsibility" fell to the UK "to take care of their ships".

Earlier, Downing Street had repeated its calls for Iran immediately to release the tanker that was seized on Friday. Theresa May had chaired a Cobra meeting to receive updates, discuss security in the area and consider how to react.

On Sunday, ministers denied domestic politics meant the government had taken its "eye off the ball".

The detainment of the Stena Impero marks escalating tensions between the UK and Iran, coming weeks after Britain helped seize a tanker carrying Iranian oil.

What happened?
On Friday, the Stena Impero was seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the key shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said it was "violating international maritime rules".

Video released by Iran's Revolutionary Guard-affiliated Fars news agency appeared to show the moment the tanker was raided.

BBC
BDST: 1428 HRS, JULY 23, 2019
RS