BlackRain
06-21-2004, 12:21 PM
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran said Monday it had confiscated three British naval vessels and arrested eight armed crew members. The Royal Navy acknowledged it had lost contact with three small patrol boats on a routine mission in the waterway between Iraq and Iran.
British officials did not confirm the boats were captured or the crewmembers detained.
"I can confirm that three small Royal Navy patrol boats and eight crew have been out of communication since the early hours of this morning," said a British military spokesman in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on condition of anonymity. "It is not unusual for the Royal Navy to be patrolling the Shatt-al-Arab" waterway.
Iranian-British relations have been strained in recent days, since London helped draft a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors meeting last week in Vienna that rebuked Iran for past cover-ups involving its development of nuclear technology.
Iran says its program is aimed only at producing energy, while the United States accuses Tehran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran accused Britain of caving in to U.S. pressure on the resolution.
The three British ships entered Iranian territorial waters not far from the Iran-Iraq border, the Arabic language Al-Alam television reported.
"Iranian forces confiscated the ships and eight military personnel on board," the report said.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi confirmed the report, according to Iran's main Persian language TV channel.
"Interrogation of those detained will continue until the matter is clarified," Asefi was quoted as saying.
The Royal Navy said it had lost contact with three small patrol boats early Monday.
"I can confirm that three small Royal Navy patrol boats and eight crew have been out of communication since the early hours of this morning," said a British military spokesman in Basra, Iraq, said on condition of anonymity. "It is not unusual for the Royal Navy to be patrolling the Shatt-al-Arab."
The Iranian TV report said crew members were carrying maps and weapons. It also said the ships were confiscated about 11 a.m. between the Bahmanshir and Arvand rivers, which would put them in the Shatt-al-Arab waterway east of the Iraqi city of Faw.
The ministry said there were no British warships operating in the Shatt-al-Arab waterway but some smaller vessels were there.
"We are assisting the Iraqi water police there so it may be one of those vessels," a spokesman said on condition of anonymity. "We don't know."
The Foreign Office said British diplomats in Tehran had been in contact with the Iranian government but it was still unclear what had happened.
The Royal Navy has been training Iraqi personnel in coastal defense for several weeks on the waterway, and it is possible that the vessels were part of that exercise.
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The article does not say what vessels were invloved, but here is a list of Royal Navy Patrol vessels:
Patrol Vessels
The primary tasks of fishery protection and patrolling Britain's offshore gas and oilfield installations are carried out by the Royal Navy's Fishery Protection Squadron. This is currently made up of the Island Class, Castle Class and River Class vessels. Additionally, the Royal Navy has sixteen Fast Training Boats (also known as P2000s) most of which are in service with the 1st Patrol Boat Squadron.
Castle Class - These ships are dual role designed with the ability to carry out fishery protection and offshore patrols as well as being able to operate large helicopters such as the Sea King. One of the class has generally been on long term patrol duties off the Falkland Islands whilst the other forms part of the Fishery Protection Squadron.
Island Class - These patrol vessels (currently in the process of being replaced by the more effective River Class patrol vessels) were based on success commercial trawler lines. They were introduced to protect the extensive British interests in the North Sea and to patrol the 200 mile fishery limit.
River Class - The River Class vessels are larger and more effective than the Island Class vessels they will replace. This is because it is expected that they will serve twice as many days at sea thus enabling the three new River Class vessels, HMS’ Tyne, Severn and Mersey to more than adequately replace the five outgoing Island Class vessels.
P2000 Fast Training Boats - The P2000 boats are mainly used by the University Royal Naval Units (URNUs), although HMS Dasher and HMS Pursuer are currently on deployment in Cyprus.
http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/data/gallery/thumb/988797439t.jpg
British officials did not confirm the boats were captured or the crewmembers detained.
"I can confirm that three small Royal Navy patrol boats and eight crew have been out of communication since the early hours of this morning," said a British military spokesman in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on condition of anonymity. "It is not unusual for the Royal Navy to be patrolling the Shatt-al-Arab" waterway.
Iranian-British relations have been strained in recent days, since London helped draft a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors meeting last week in Vienna that rebuked Iran for past cover-ups involving its development of nuclear technology.
Iran says its program is aimed only at producing energy, while the United States accuses Tehran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran accused Britain of caving in to U.S. pressure on the resolution.
The three British ships entered Iranian territorial waters not far from the Iran-Iraq border, the Arabic language Al-Alam television reported.
"Iranian forces confiscated the ships and eight military personnel on board," the report said.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi confirmed the report, according to Iran's main Persian language TV channel.
"Interrogation of those detained will continue until the matter is clarified," Asefi was quoted as saying.
The Royal Navy said it had lost contact with three small patrol boats early Monday.
"I can confirm that three small Royal Navy patrol boats and eight crew have been out of communication since the early hours of this morning," said a British military spokesman in Basra, Iraq, said on condition of anonymity. "It is not unusual for the Royal Navy to be patrolling the Shatt-al-Arab."
The Iranian TV report said crew members were carrying maps and weapons. It also said the ships were confiscated about 11 a.m. between the Bahmanshir and Arvand rivers, which would put them in the Shatt-al-Arab waterway east of the Iraqi city of Faw.
The ministry said there were no British warships operating in the Shatt-al-Arab waterway but some smaller vessels were there.
"We are assisting the Iraqi water police there so it may be one of those vessels," a spokesman said on condition of anonymity. "We don't know."
The Foreign Office said British diplomats in Tehran had been in contact with the Iranian government but it was still unclear what had happened.
The Royal Navy has been training Iraqi personnel in coastal defense for several weeks on the waterway, and it is possible that the vessels were part of that exercise.
---------
The article does not say what vessels were invloved, but here is a list of Royal Navy Patrol vessels:
Patrol Vessels
The primary tasks of fishery protection and patrolling Britain's offshore gas and oilfield installations are carried out by the Royal Navy's Fishery Protection Squadron. This is currently made up of the Island Class, Castle Class and River Class vessels. Additionally, the Royal Navy has sixteen Fast Training Boats (also known as P2000s) most of which are in service with the 1st Patrol Boat Squadron.
Castle Class - These ships are dual role designed with the ability to carry out fishery protection and offshore patrols as well as being able to operate large helicopters such as the Sea King. One of the class has generally been on long term patrol duties off the Falkland Islands whilst the other forms part of the Fishery Protection Squadron.
Island Class - These patrol vessels (currently in the process of being replaced by the more effective River Class patrol vessels) were based on success commercial trawler lines. They were introduced to protect the extensive British interests in the North Sea and to patrol the 200 mile fishery limit.
River Class - The River Class vessels are larger and more effective than the Island Class vessels they will replace. This is because it is expected that they will serve twice as many days at sea thus enabling the three new River Class vessels, HMS’ Tyne, Severn and Mersey to more than adequately replace the five outgoing Island Class vessels.
P2000 Fast Training Boats - The P2000 boats are mainly used by the University Royal Naval Units (URNUs), although HMS Dasher and HMS Pursuer are currently on deployment in Cyprus.
http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/data/gallery/thumb/988797439t.jpg