Emergency.Blog

15 British Sailors and Marines Reported Captured by Iran

Friday, 23 March 2007, 16:51 GMT

U.K. Sailors Captured at Gunpoint by Iranians

Fifteen British Navy personnel have been captured at gunpoint by Iranian forces, the Ministry of Defence says. The men were seized at 10:30 (local time) when they boarded a boat in the Gulf, off the coast of Iraq, which they suspected was smuggling cars.

The Royal Navy said the men, who were on a routine patrol in Iraqi waters, were understood to be unharmed. The Foreign Office has demanded the immediate and safe return of the men, who are based on HMS Cornwall... Article continues at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6484279.stm

ERRI Assessment:

ERRI crisis/military analysts are viewing this as a major provocation on the day before a vote at the U.N. about Iranian nuclear development. Although unlikely to occur at this juncture, this situation could be considered as very serious or even an "act of war" by the British government.

Additionally, it should be noted that recently we reported that Iran had threatened to kidnap U.S./British personnel, to potentially be used in a prisoner exchange for Iranian operatives previously captured in Iraq. And finally, another ERRI analyst noted that the Iranians are presently in the midst of the "military exercise" that placed the Iranian forces on a higher state of alert throughout Iran.

"During these maneuvers frigates equipped with missiles, warships, air-to-sea missiles and sea-to-air missiles are being used as well as tactical reconnaissance submarines," Iranian Navy commander Adm. Sajad Kushaki is reported as saying.

We are monitoring this latest event very closely as we see it as an escalation in the tactical and strategic situation in the Persian Gulf. Watch Emergencynet News for more on this emerging story...