Iran seizes 15 British marines and sailors

Iranian forces seized 15 British servicemen yesterday in the mouth of the waterway that separates Iran and Iraq, triggering a diplomatic crisis at a time of heightened tensions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Britain said two boatloads of sailors and marines from the naval frigate Cornwall had searched a merchant vessel in Iraqi waters on a UN approved mission when Iranian gunboats encircled and captured them.

Iran accused the British of straying into Iranian waters.

The incident sent oil prices up more than one per cent to a three-month high.

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said she was "extremely disturbed". Britain summoned Iran's ambassador in London and protested through its embassy in Tehran.

"We sought a full explanation of what happened and left the Iranian authorities in no doubt that we expect immediate and safe return of our service personnel and boats," Ms Beckett said.

In Tehran, the foreign ministry summoned the British charge d'affaires. "The Iranian Foreign Ministry has seriously objected following the illegal entry of British naval military forces into our country's waters," state television reported, adding they were detained by border guards for further investigation.

Washington backed its ally. "We support the British demand for the safe return of their people and equipment," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

It took place a day after Iran launched a week of naval war games along its coast, including the Gulf's northern reaches which give access to the oil output of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait. "There was no fighting, no engagement of weapons, anything like that, it was entirely peaceful," said Commodore Nick Lambert, commander of the British fleet in the area.

"We have been assured from the scant communication we have had with the Iranians at a tactical level that the 15 people are safely in their hands," he said aboard the Cornwall.

British officials were wary of drawing the conclusion that the incident was a deliberate provocation by Tehran.

"This may well be a misunderstanding. We're certainly treating it as such at the moment. We're looking for the mistake to be corrected," a British government source said.

It mirrored a similar event in 2004 when Iran seized eight British servicemen in the narrow waterway that separates Iran from Iraq and held them for three nights.

Then, as now, the Iranians accused the British of straying into Iranian waters, a charge the Ministry of Defence denied.

"While there could have been some dispute over the whereabouts of the border that time, we are categorical that this time our people were operating clearly in Iraqi waters," a ministry spokesman said.

He said those held by the Iranians comprised eight Royal Navy sailors and seven marines.

Unlike the US, Britain has diplomatic relations with Iran. But London backs Washington's calls for tough sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme.

The UN Security Council is due to vote today on new sanctions against Iran for refusing to halt enrichment of uranium, which Western countries say could be used for weapons and which Tehran says is for power. London and Washington also say Iran foments violence in Iraq.