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| Five Britons held in Iran after yacht seized in Gulf |
| 2009-12-01 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Five Britons have been detained in Iran after their racing yacht may have inadvertently strayed into Iranian waters, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Monday. In the incident on November 25, "a racing yacht owned by Sail Bahrain and crewed by five British nationals, was stopped by Iranian naval vessels," a Foreign Office said in a statement. "The yacht was on its way from Bahrain to Dubai and may have strayed inadvertently into Iranian waters. The five crew members are still in Iran. All are understood to be safe and well and their families have been informed." Foreign Office officials "immediately contacted the Iranian authorities in London and in Tehran on the evening of 25 November, both to seek clarification and to try and resolve the matter swiftly", Miliband said. "Our ambassador in Tehran has raised the issue with the Iranian Foreign Ministry and we have discussed the matter with the Iranian embassy in London. "I hope this issue will soon be resolved. We will remain in close touch with the Iranian authorities, as well as the families." On Sunday, Miliband was among several world leaders to condemn Iran's announcement that it planned to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants in a major expansion of its atomic program. Miliband accused Iran of choosing to "provoke and dissemble" rather than engage in talks. In April 2007, Iranian forces seized eight British Royal Navy sailors and seven marines, in the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway that separates Iran and Iraq. They were later freed unharmed as a "gift" from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who scolded Britain for not being "brave enough" to admit they had made a mistake and strayed into Iranian waters. |
| Posted by:Fred |