However, Tehran warned London not to make the issue more complicated by using a “tough language”.
“The Islamic Republic is interested in resolving the issue of the detainment of 15 invading British military personnel through diplomacy and bilateral talks,” Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, told the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
Iranian armed forces captured 15 British sailors and marines last Friday as they entered illegally into Iran’s territorial waters in Arvand Rud in the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
Larijani added that the issue “should go through (local) legal procedures.”
Larijani added the invasion of British boats to Iranian waters is not unprecedented. Previously two British gunboats were detained for entering Iranian waters and the crew made a commitment not to repeat such invasions, Larijani insisted.
“However, the British officials don’t want to admit that they have committed such a behavior.”
“Under the marine law, the warships should ask permission for passing a country’s coastal waters, but the detained British boats violated Iran’s territorial waters while searching an Indian ship,” Larijani revealed.
The Iranian security official said instead of taking a “legal and technical” look at the issue, the British government has launched a media campaign and adopted a “harsh political behavior.”
He said, “It is even more unusual that before doing a technical examination some European officials have made a stance saying that the detained boats were in Iraqi waters.”
He said, “Technical equipments have spotted the location of the British (soldiers) who had invaded our territorial waters… and the detained persons have admitted that they invaded Iran’s coastal waters and it should be determined why they regularly violate our sovereignty.”
He went on to say that “some of our friends including Iraq, Oman and Turkey made mediation in this regard and we explained to them that we investigate the issue positively” but the commotion created by the British officials will not contribute to the resolution of the issue.
On a question that Britain has announced that it has suspended its relations with Iran over the detainment, he said, the British leaders are making a “miscalculation” in pursuing the issue.
He added the ground had been prepared for releasing one of the British soldiers “who is a woman” in the group but a “tough language and incorrect behavior” by Britain put her release in suspension.
The Iranian security official argued that the British forces want to make an invasion of others’ lands a “habit” under the pretext of searching different ships which move toward Iraq but they should know that the “costs of such an act are too high.”
He said as an important country in the region Iran observes international regulations but it “will not allow anybody to violate its sovereignty and if anybody does such a behavior it should give reasons for it and based on technical and legal reasoning the British should also say that they have committed a breach (of Iran’s waters).”
He added the British officials will “get no where” by creating a commotion and making media publicity.
He insisted the issue is resolvable through “bilateral talks.”
He said the British officials should know that when the sovereignty of a country is violated the issue is examined based on the regulations of the country which its land has been invaded.
Britain has announced that it take the issue of its detained navy personnel to the UN Security Council.
However, Larijani said using international bodies as an “instrument” will not “justify invasion” by British forces.
In conclusion, Larijani reiterated, “The path toward resolving the case of the invasion of 15 British military forces to coastal waters of the Islamic Republic is bilateral talks.”
However, he added, Iran will have no problem if the British officials want to pursue the issue through an international legal body.
MS/MS
END
MNA