British ambassador summoned by Iran’s Foreign Ministry

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador today to protest what at it called the “illegal entry” of British sailors into Iranian waters, state TV reported.

The move follows British and European Union’s demands for Iran to release 15 Royal Navy personnel seized at gunpoint in disputed waters between Iran and Iraq on Friday.

Britain and the US have said the sailors had just completed a search of a civilian vessel in Iraqi waters when they were intercepted by the Iranian navy and detained. Iran claims they were in its waters.

State TV said that the Ministry called in the ambassador, Geoffrey Adams, “to protest the illegal entry of British sailors into Iranian territorial waters”.

It gave no details about the meeting.