The British navy personnel detained by Iran were most probably gathering information and spying on Iran, a Lebanese military expert has said. Speaking to IRNA news agency on Tuesday, Walid Sakariya said it was the second time the Britons had been detained for their illegal entry into Iranian territory since 2004 and Iran had the right to defend its sovereignty by arresting them. Sakariya stressed that all international laws and norms clearly say the sovereignty of countries and their territorial borders must be respected. He criticized the West for pressuring Iran over what the country is legally entitled to and said, "Iran will definitely defend its sovereignty against any threats by U.S. and British military in the region. There are many U.S. and British military bases in the Persian Gulf states and Iraq has been occupied by these two countries. Besides, they carry out war games which threaten stability in the region and Muslim countries," he added.
"Given the Britons' admission of incursion into Iran's waters in the Persian Gulf, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has tried to complicate the incident in collaboration with U.S. President George W. Bush, should resolve the issue through legal, friendly, and diplomatic procedures. The UK must avoid misusing the UN Security Council, which is in fact a tool in hands of Washington," said Walid Sakariya.