Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel
On 23 March 2007, fifteen British Royal Navy personnel were illegally detained by the military forces of Iran.[1]
Incident
On March 23, fifteen Royal Navy personnel from HMS Cornwall were conducting routine patrols of Iraqi water. Around 10:25AM (UTC+3), the British boarded a merchant vessel which was suspected of smuggling contraband into Iraq. The vessel was soon surrounded by forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, and taken captive.[2]
Iranian Claims
Soon after capturing the British personnel, Iran released a set of coordinates allegedly showing the position of the British soldiers when they were captured. [3] However, Iran quickly withdrew these coordinates after the UK pointed out that they were indeed still within Iraqi waters. Iran then released a second set of coordinates, likely falsified, that allegedly showed the British personnel in Iranian waters. Iran has also stooped to the level of using the captured personnel for propaganda purposes.[4]
Notes
- ↑ Seized sailors 'held in Tehran', BBC News, 3-26-2007
- ↑ Iranians seize 15 British sailors, The New York Times, 3-31-2007
- ↑ MOD briefing shows Royal Navy personnel were in Iraqi waters, Defence News, 3-28-2007
- ↑ Iran hostage crisis: Vile lies, The Sun, 3-30-2007
