DONALD Trump has vowed to stand up for the UK over the “hostile” seizure of two British oil tankers, saying: “Iran is in big trouble”.

The Stena Impero and Mesdar were halted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and diverted to their waters less than an hour apart today in the Gulf.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has declared there will be “serious consequences” as tensions escalate in the flashpoint region.

And the US President has promised he will back up the UK to honour the long-standing special relationship.

“Iran is showing their true colours,” he told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House as he departed for a weekend in New Jersey.

“Iran is in big trouble.”

He added that the US and the UK will be working together to find a solution to the worsening tanker row.

“Well, as you know we have a very close alliance with the UK and we always have,” Trump said.

“We don’t have very many tankers going in but we have a lot of warships there and we’ll talk to the UK.

“We have no written agreement but we have an agreement but they’ve been a very great ally of ours.”

‘NOTHING BUT TROUBLE’

Trump then branded Iran “nothing but trouble”.

“And remember this, the agreement, the ridiculous agreement made by President Obama, expires in a very short period of time.

“It was a short term agreement. When you’re dealing in countries, you have to deal in 50 years and 100 years.”

The Government’s Cobra committee held an emergency meeting in Whitehall after the Stena Impero and Mesdar were halted by troops in speedboats and helicopters and diverted to Iran.

British-flagged Stena Impero was sailing to the Saudi port of Jubail but map tracking data shows it veered off course with a sharp turn north at around 4.17pm UK time.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA said it had been “impounded” and claimed the tanker had turned off its tracker, ignored warnings from the Revolutionary Guards and was sailing in the wrong direction in a shipping lane.

State-controlled TV claimed the ship was seized because it was “violating international maritime rules”.

Less than an hour later at around 5pm the Mesdar – Liberian-flagged but operated by the UK firm Norbulk Shipping UK – also turned sharply north towards Iran’s coast after passing westward through the Strait.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported regional military sources saying the vessel had been allowed to continue its journey after armed troops boarded and issued a warning.

Tracking data indicated the Mesdar had changed direction a second time and started heading west into the Gulf.

A statement from Norbulk said: “Communication has been re-established with the vessel and Master confirmed that the armed guards have left and the vessel is free to continue the voyage. All crew are safe and well.”

NO BRITS ON BOARD EITHER TANKER

But the Impero was taken to an Iranian port along with its 23 crew. It is thought no British citizens were on board either ship.

The Royal Navy’s Type-23 frigate HMS Montrose was in Omani waters and tried to steam to the rescue but was around ten minutes too late, according to The Times.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “I’m extremely concerned by the seizure of two vessels by Iranian authorities in the Strait of Hormuz.

“These seizures are unacceptable. It is essential that freedom of navigation is maintained and that all ships can move safely and freely in the region.”

Mr Hunt later added: “We will respond in a way is considered but robust, and we are absolutely clear that if this situation is not resolved quickly there will be serious consequences.”

Mr Hunt continued: “We’re not looking at military options, we are a looking at diplomatic way to resolve the situation.

“But we are very clear that it must be resolved.”

TWO WEEKS AFTER UK SEIZED IRANIAN SUPERTANKER

The seizure of the two British oil tankers comes two weeks after Royal Marines seized a supertanker believed to be carrying Iranian crude oil to Syria on July 4.

The oil tanker Grace 1 was detained on suspicion it was breaking European sanctions by taking oil to Syria.

Iran has since been threatening to seize a British tanker in retaliation if the Grace 1 is not released.

Three Iranian boats also tried to seize a BP oil tanker as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday July 10.

Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose – which was escorting the tanker through the flashpoint region – was forced to sail in front of the boats.

After quickly training its 30mm deck guns on the enemy boats, deploying its Wildcat helicopter and issuing a radio warning, the Iranian boats scarpered.

HMS Duncan was then deployed to patrol the busy shipping lane as all UK flagged vessels were put on the highest security alert level.

FLASHPOINT

But an Iranian bomb boat was found in its path, meaning the HMS Duncan could have been destroyed by the unmanned attack ship packed with explosives, the Mirror reports.

Iran had earlier been blamed for a series of devastating sea mine attacks on US-linked oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Last month, Trump called off a planned airstrike on Iranian military targets at the last minute in retaliation for the shooting down of an unmanned US drone.

Yesterday, US warship the USS Boxer downed an Iranian drone near the Persian Gulf with officials saying they used electronic jamming to bring the unmanned craft down.

Iran though completely denied this saying the US had mistakenly downed one of its own drones.

Iran has been squaring up to the West as it reels over the scrapping of the so-called nuclear deal by the US