UK troops set free in Iran

2004-06-24 10:18

Tehran - Eight British soldiers and marines who were detained after straying into Iranian territorial waters have left the Persian Gulf area for Tehran, state-run Iranian television reported on Thursday.

The Arabic language Al-Alam station did not say when the sailors would leave Iran or what the purpose of the Tehran visit was. Diplomats suggested the detainees would leave Tehran by air for London.

Iran and Britain issued a series of on-off reports on Wednesday about the status of the six Royal Marines and two sailors detained on Monday after their boats crossed onto the Iranian side of the Shatt al-Arab waterway that runs along the Iran-Iraq border. Iran calls the waterway Arvand River.

Al-Alam reported late on Wednesday that a second round of talks on the British detainees had been postponed until Thursday.

But an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the sailors had been freed on Wednesday.

"The sailors are not in detention any more. They are free to leave. The issue of handing them over to British authorities is merely a formality issue that has to be sorted out between Iranian and British officials," the spokeswoman said late Wednesday.

In London, a British Foreign Office spokesperson rebutted the Iranian claim that the troops were not detained.

"They are still in custody in southwest Iran," the spokesman said. However, he added the agreement to release the men "still stands and there is no reason to believe there is any problem".

Night had fallen

Late on Wednesday, the Foreign Office said it had not been told officially that the release had been delayed to Thursday. But a British diplomat conceded that as night had fallen in Iran, it was possible the release would not take place until Thursday.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Foreign Office said three British diplomats were travelling from Tehran to Abadan, a port on the Shatt al-Arab and 90km west of Mah Shahr, to receive the eight servicemen.

Iran had earlier said it would prosecute the British servicemen for illegally entering Iranian territory but softened its position later saying they would be freed if interrogations proved the servicemen had "no bad intention".

The softening tone came after two telephone conversations between British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi, and constant dialogue between the British and Iranian officials.

Britain has said the eight servicemen were delivering a new patrol boat to Iraq's river police when they were detained.

Iran will keep the three boats in which the British troops were travelling, as well as their weapons and other equipment, Al-Alam has reported.

- AP