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| Seized sailors are 'fit and well' | Seized sailors are 'fit and well' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The 15 Royal Navy personnel who were seized four days ago are fit and well, Iran has told the Foreign Office. | The 15 Royal Navy personnel who were seized four days ago are fit and well, Iran has told the Foreign Office. |
| A senior Iranian official told the UK's ambassador in Tehran that the Britons were being held in Iran but would not disclose their exact location. | A senior Iranian official told the UK's ambassador in Tehran that the Britons were being held in Iran but would not disclose their exact location. |
| He said Iran was "working to resolve the matter as soon as possible". | He said Iran was "working to resolve the matter as soon as possible". |
| Iran says the Britons could be charged with illegally entering Iranian waters, although both Iraq and the UK insist they were in an Iraqi area. | |
| Escalation | Escalation |
| British ambassador Geoffrey Adams was assured that the eight sailors and seven marines were well during an hour-long meeting on Monday with Ebrahim Rahimpour, a senior official at the Iranian foreign ministry in Tehran. | British ambassador Geoffrey Adams was assured that the eight sailors and seven marines were well during an hour-long meeting on Monday with Ebrahim Rahimpour, a senior official at the Iranian foreign ministry in Tehran. |
| HMS Cornwall's area of operations | HMS Cornwall's area of operations |
| Mr Rahimpour agreed to stay in close touch with the British embassy but declined to say what plans Iran had for their release, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. | Mr Rahimpour agreed to stay in close touch with the British embassy but declined to say what plans Iran had for their release, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. |
| The Iranian state news agency IRNA said Mr Rahimpour told Mr Adams that the 14 men and one woman could face legal proceedings. | The Iranian state news agency IRNA said Mr Rahimpour told Mr Adams that the 14 men and one woman could face legal proceedings. |
| It claimed he expressed concern about the escalation of tensions following the US occupation of Iraq which created security problems on Iran's borders. | It claimed he expressed concern about the escalation of tensions following the US occupation of Iraq which created security problems on Iran's borders. |
| And after "contradictory statements" over the seizure of the Britons, the case "required an inquiry into such suspicious events". | And after "contradictory statements" over the seizure of the Britons, the case "required an inquiry into such suspicious events". |
| Mr Adams's meeting with Iranian officials was the second in two days in which he tried to get consular access to the navy personnel. | Mr Adams's meeting with Iranian officials was the second in two days in which he tried to get consular access to the navy personnel. |
| The minister called for the release of the detainees and to deal with this case in a wise way Iraq's foreign ministry Dividing the Shatt al-Arab Tensions push oil above $63 | The minister called for the release of the detainees and to deal with this case in a wise way Iraq's foreign ministry Dividing the Shatt al-Arab Tensions push oil above $63 |
| It came as Tony Blair said Britain was "utterly confident" the naval personnel were in Iraqi waters and repeated his call for their release. | |
| Defence Secretary Des Browne later told the Commons the government was doing "everything possible" to secure the release of the detainees. | |
| He said his thoughts were with the crew members of HMS Cornwall who had been detained, their friends in theatre and the families in the UK. | He said his thoughts were with the crew members of HMS Cornwall who had been detained, their friends in theatre and the families in the UK. |
| Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, said the Conservatives wanted MPs to have a chance to discuss the issue as soon as diplomatic sensitivities allowed. | Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, said the Conservatives wanted MPs to have a chance to discuss the issue as soon as diplomatic sensitivities allowed. |
| In a telephone call on Sunday night, Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari told his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Motakki the Britons had been in Iraqi waters when captured. | |
| Mr Zebari said they were working with the multi-national forces with the approval of the Iraqi government and according to UN Security Council resolutions. | Mr Zebari said they were working with the multi-national forces with the approval of the Iraqi government and according to UN Security Council resolutions. |
| Iraq's foreign ministry added: "The minister called for the release of the detainees and to deal with this case in a wise way." | Iraq's foreign ministry added: "The minister called for the release of the detainees and to deal with this case in a wise way." |
| The Britons, who include one woman, were seized at gunpoint after inspecting an Iraqi boat and returning to their two small boats to head back to HMS Cornwall. | The Britons, who include one woman, were seized at gunpoint after inspecting an Iraqi boat and returning to their two small boats to head back to HMS Cornwall. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY The country of Iran needs to have a good long hard look at how this situation will look to the rest of the world Gary, UK Send us your comments class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6496191.stm">Iranian view on stand-off | |
| Students belonging to the paramilitary Basij group, which is close to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have called for them to be put on trial. | Students belonging to the paramilitary Basij group, which is close to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have called for them to be put on trial. |
| Dr Ali Pahlavan, the executive editor of Iran News - an independent newspaper in Tehran - told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the "ultra conservative" Revolutionary Guard believed that Britain and the US needed to be challenged. | |
| "This could be part of the strategy to challenge British and American supremacy in this part of the world - which is troubling, because this could lead to confrontation and this could be a trigger and could lead to escalation". | "This could be part of the strategy to challenge British and American supremacy in this part of the world - which is troubling, because this could lead to confrontation and this could be a trigger and could lead to escalation". |
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