Britain Demands Iran Return Sailors

Britain Friday demanded the return of 15 marines and sailors seized by Iran in the Persian Gulf.

The British government is demanding the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment, the British Defense Ministry said in a statement.

British Navy Commodore Nick Lambert said the sailors had just inspected a ship in the waters between Iraq and Iran when their inflatable boats were surrounded by Iranian Navy vessels and they were taken away.

The British Navy has Baghdad’s permission to patrol Iraqi waters.

Lambert told CNN there is absolutely no doubt in my mind the sailors were in Iraqi waters.

The extent and the definition of territorial waters in this part of the world is very complicated … We may well find, and I hope we find, that this is a simple misunderstanding at a tactical level, he told CNN. There hopefully has been a mistake that’s been made, and we’ll see early clarification and early release of my people.