Iran Releases Detained British Sailors

Iran has released five British sailors detained in the Gulf after the yacht they were traveling in reportedly strayed into Iranian waters while en route to Dubai from Bahrain last week.

The official IRNA news agency said on Wednesday that the yachtsmen were released after an interrogation by Iranian authorities found “that their illegal entry was a mistake”.

Iran had earlier warned that the sailors would be prosecuted if it could prove “bad intentions” on part of the detainees.

However, Britain said it was an innocent case of a vessel accidentally going astray into the Arabian Gulf.

Media agencies citing sources in London identified the sailors as Oliver Smith, Oliver Young, Sam Usher, Luke Porter and David Bloomer.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband welcomed the “professional” manner in which Iran dealt with London over the matter.

“I welcome the fact that this has been dealt with in a professional and straightforward way by the Iranian authorities,” he said.

(Based on Media Reports)