Iranian naval vessels yesterday seized 15 British sailors who had boarded a merchant ship in Iraqi waters, British and US officials said. Britain immediately protested the incident -- which comes at a time of high tension between the West and Iran.
Iran had no immediate comment about the incident. In London, the British government summoned the Iranian ambassador and demanded "the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment."
The US Navy, which operates off the Iraqi coast along with British forces, said the British sailors appeared unharmed and that Iran's Revolutionary Guard naval forces were responsible.
Britain's defense ministry said the Navy personnel were "engaged in routine boarding operations of merchant shipping in Iraqi territorial waters" and had completed a ship inspection when they were accosted by the Iranian vessels.
"We are urgently pursuing this matter with the Iranian authorities at the highest level," it said.
No one could be immediately reached for comment at either government offices in Iran or at the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad or at the UN mission. Iran is in the middle of its New Year holiday when almost all government offices close.
According to a statement from the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain and operates jointly with the British forces off the coast of Iraq, the British sailors had just finished inspecting the merchant ship "when they and their two boats were surrounded and escorted by Iranian vessels into Iranian territorial waters."
Commodore Kevin Aandahl of the Fifth Fleet said the British crew members were intercepted by several larger patrol boats operated by Iranian sailors belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, a radical force that operates separately from the regular navy.
No shots were fired and there appeared to be no physical harm done to any personnel involved or their vessels, Aandahl said.
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