icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
24 Mar, 2007 23:00

UK demands immediate release of 15 Royal Navy personnel

UK demands immediate release of 15 Royal Navy personnel

Iranian military says 15 detained British soldiers have confessed to illegally entering Iranian waters during questioning. Britain has demanded the return of the sailors.

Eight Royal Navy sailors and 7 Royal Marines were brought to Tehran after they were seized at gunpoint on Friday.

Britain denies they had strayed into Iranian waters while searching for smugglers off Iraq's coast.

A top Iranian military official said the army personnel made the confession during interrogation and Tehran has accused Britain of “blatant aggression.''

The European Union has also called for the ”immediate liberation' of the captured sailors.

The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions and allegations that Iran is arming Shi'ite Muslim militias in Iraq.

Podcasts
0:00
26:13
0:00
24:57