UK sailors' families hold talks

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The families of five British yachtsmen detained by Iran are to meet Foreign Office officials in London later.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has urged his Iranian counterpart to make clear what Tehran planned to do with the men, who were arrested a week ago.

The crew may have mistakenly strayed into Iran's waters as they sailed from Bahrain to Dubai for a race.

The UK says Iran's failure to explain why they were seized by the navy was of "increasing concern".

In a telephone conversation with the Iran's foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Mr Miliband called for the speedy release of the men, who are thought to be held on the island of Sirri in the Gulf.

A Foreign Office spokesman said Mr Miliband had repeated Britain's request for formal consular access.

In a statement, it added Mr Mottaki had pledged to get the foreign secretary a response on all the points raised.

An earlier meeting at the Foreign Office on Tuesday took place between Iran's ambassador permanent under secretary Peter Ricketts.

YACHT CREW Oliver Smith, 31, an engineer from Southampton, yacht's skipperOliver Young, 21, professional yachtsman from Plymouth Luke Porter, 21, professional sailor from Weston-Super-MareDavid Bloomer, radio presenter based in BahrainSam Usher, 26, owns sailing academy in Scarborough <a class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/8388668.stm">Profile of seized British sailors</a> <a class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/8387670.stm">New diplomatic crisis or mishap?</a>

Foreign Office officials said they understood Luke Porter, 21, from Weston-super-Mare; Oliver Smith, 31, from Southampton; Oliver Young, 21, from Cornwall; Sam Usher, 26, from Scarborough, and Bahrain-based David Bloomer were safe and well.

The men, backed by the UK's Team Pindar, were sailing a Volvo 60 class yacht Kingdom of Bahrain to the start of the Dubai-Muscat Offshore Race when they were held.

An Iranian official said "serious" measures would be taken against the crew if it is proved they had "evil intentions".

In an interview with Iranian TV on Tuesday, president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not refer to the yachtsmen.

He criticised the UK, saying it and Israel were behind a tough resolution by a UN watchdog over Iran's nuclear program.

But earlier Mr Miliband had said: "This is a human story of five young yachtsmen. It's got nothing to do with politics, it's got nothing to do with nuclear enrichment programmes... it has no relationship to any of the other, bigger issues."

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the five men could be released within days if Iran accepts they are innocent yachtsmen but the diplomatic situation could get "very complicated" if it were to put them on trial.

Dubai-Muscat Offshore Race organisers said the crew of may have been "drifting" after experiencing propeller problems.

David Young, said his son, Oliver, was a "fanatical yachtsman" with a great deal of experience and that he was certain his son would be able to "cope with this very well".

Luke Porter's parents say they have 'grave concerns' for his welfare

But Charles Porter said he and his wife Beverley were concerned about their son Luke.

The fiancee of Sam Usher, Nicola Drayton, said: "It's difficult but you just get on, you have no choice."

It is not the first time Britons have been detained after being accused of straying into Iranian waters.

In March 2007 there was a prolonged stand-off between the UK and Iran after a 15-strong Royal Navy crew was detained by Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

And in 2004, eight British servicemen were held in Iran after being seized in the Shatt al-Arab waterway, where they were training the Iraqi river patrol service.

IRAN'S MARITIME CLAIMS In 1993 Iran informed the UN of its claims over a territorial sea, a contiguous zone and an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extending to the continental shelf. Territorial sea: Iran claims sovereignty over a belt of sea, measured 12 nautical miles from its baseline. This extends to the air space above it as well as to its bed and subsoilContiguous zone: An area adjacent to the territorial sea with an outer limit of 24 nautical miles from the baseline. The Iranian government claims the right to take steps to prevent the infringement of laws and regulationsEEZ and the continental shelf boundary: Within the EEZ, which extends out to the continental shelf line, Iran claims exclusive rights to all natural resources, research and the building of structures. <i>Source: Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, US Department of State</i>