British Prime Minister Tony Blair today accused Iran of seizing British naval personnel in Iraqi waters and said Tehran must understand that the situation is "very serious."
Blair told journalists in Berlin that Iran's action in detaining the 15 sailors on March 23 was "unjustified and wrong."
He said the sailors were definitely in Iraqi waters, and had not strayed into Iranian terrritory.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry earlier summoned Britain's envoy to Tehran to protest the "illegal entry" of the British sailors into Iranian waters. Iranian officials say the sailors have admitted entering Iranian waters.
Britain says the sailors were conducting routine antismuggling checks when they were seized in the Shatt Al-Arab waterway.
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
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