In the meantime, Britain continues plans to deploy a Europe-led "maritime protection mission" to safeguard shipping in the area after Iran's Revolutionary Guard seized the Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.
The audio shows that a British frigate was too far away from the targeted tanker to keep it from being diverted into an Iranian port despite U.K. efforts to keep it from being boarded.
The operator of the Stena Impero said it was unable to contact the ship after it was approached by unidentified vessels and a helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Navy has estimated that the least expensive method of double-walling its fuel tanks that in 2014 spilled 27,000 gallons (102,000 liters) of fuel could cost between $500 million and $2 billion.