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Iran grills British sailors
26/03/2007 16:04 - (SA)
Tehran - Iran said on Monday it was interrogating 15 British sailors it seized last week claiming they had entered its waters illegally, defying intense international pressure for their release.
As the diplomatic row deepened, Britain's ambassador Geoffrey Adams held more talks at the foreign ministry in Tehran and was assured that the group was "fit and well", said the foreign office in London.
Baghdad also backed up Britain's claim that the 14 men and one woman were taken in Iraqi waters in the Shatt al-Arab waterway that divides the two countries.
Shockwaves from the seizure, which British Prime Minister Tony Blair has labelled "unjustified and wrong", continued to reverberate around the world.
Britain says the naval personnel were conducting "routine" anti-smuggling operations when they were seized at gunpoint in the Shatt al-Arab water in the north of the Gulf on Friday.
The foreign office said Adams met senior Iranian officials for an hour in his second meeting in two days.
Sailors 'fit and well'
"The ambassador pressed hard for details of where the detainees are being held and for consular access to them and what plans the Iranians had for their release," said a spokesperson.
"The MFA (ministry of foreign affairs) assured us the group is fit and well and in Iran. There are no further details at this stage."
Iran's deputy foreign minister Mehdi Mostafavi said the sailors were being interrogated but gave no information about where they were being.
He said: "The case of the Britons who violated Iranian territorial waters is following the due legal process and they must answer for their violation,.
"The British sailors are being interrogated and must clarify whether they entered Iranian waters deliberately or by mistake.
"When it becomes clear, a decision will be made."
Mostafavi denied reports Iran wanted to exchange the sailors with Iranians seized by US forces in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil in January, an incident that triggered further tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Iraq 'urged release'
Iraq said foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari had telephoned his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki on Sunday to urge the release of the Britons, saying they were operating in Iraq with the government's consent.
His ministry said: "The minister stressed that they, according to Iraqi authorities' information, were detained inside Iraqi territorial waters.
"They are part of the multinational forces with the approval of the Iraqi government and in accordance with the relevant UN security council resolution.
"The minister demanded they be released and the issue be tackled wisely."
Iran is already at loggerheads with the international community over its nuclear programme and on Saturday was slapped with tougher UN security council sanctions for failing to halt uranium enrichment work.
- AFP
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