The British navy said Thursday it stopped three Iranian paramilitary vessels from disrupting the passage of a British oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz in a brief but tense standoff stemming from the U.K.’s role in seizing an Iranian supertanker a week earlier. The incident highlights how fragile maritime security has become through one of the world’s most vital energy supply routes as the Trump administration carries out a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran. Iran recently began breaching uranium enrichment limits set in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the accord a year ago.
