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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Iran offers UK access to sailors | Iran offers UK access to sailors |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Iran has offered to let UK officials visit the 15 Royal Navy personnel who were captured in the Gulf on Friday. | Iran has offered to let UK officials visit the 15 Royal Navy personnel who were captured in the Gulf on Friday. |
| Iran's foreign minister also said the only woman being held, Faye Turney, who has been interviewed on Iranian state television, could be released. | Iran's foreign minister also said the only woman being held, Faye Turney, who has been interviewed on Iranian state television, could be released. |
| However, he added the stand-off would be resolved only if the UK stated that the sailors and marines had been in Iranian waters, which it denies. | However, he added the stand-off would be resolved only if the UK stated that the sailors and marines had been in Iranian waters, which it denies. |
| The Britons were seized after boarding a vessel and returning to their boats. | The Britons were seized after boarding a vessel and returning to their boats. |
| Letter shown | Letter shown |
| The Foreign Office said it was waiting for further details on possible consular access, and that no official offer had yet been made by Iran. The Iranian minister was speaking to reporters at the Arab summit in Saudi Arabia. | The Foreign Office said it was waiting for further details on possible consular access, and that no official offer had yet been made by Iran. The Iranian minister was speaking to reporters at the Arab summit in Saudi Arabia. |
| In the Iranian TV interview, Leading Seaman Turney, 26, said they had been seized in the Gulf because "obviously we trespassed" in Iranian waters. | In the Iranian TV interview, Leading Seaman Turney, 26, said they had been seized in the Gulf because "obviously we trespassed" in Iranian waters. |
| She said her captors had been friendly and the 15 personnel, who were all based on HMS Cornwall in the Gulf, were unharmed. | She said her captors had been friendly and the 15 personnel, who were all based on HMS Cornwall in the Gulf, were unharmed. |
| The video showed a letter, said to have been written by Leading Seaman Turney, who is from Shrewsbury, to her parents in which she admitted that the navy personnel had "apparently" crossed into Iranian waters. | The video showed a letter, said to have been written by Leading Seaman Turney, who is from Shrewsbury, to her parents in which she admitted that the navy personnel had "apparently" crossed into Iranian waters. |
| UK VERSION OF EVENTS 1 Crew boards merchant ship 1.7NM inside Iraqi waters2 HMS Cornwall was south-east of this, and inside Iraqi waters3 Iran tells UK that merchant ship was at a different point, still within Iraqi waters4 After UK points this out, Iran provides alternative position, now within Iranian waters UK version in more detail | UK VERSION OF EVENTS 1 Crew boards merchant ship 1.7NM inside Iraqi waters2 HMS Cornwall was south-east of this, and inside Iraqi waters3 Iran tells UK that merchant ship was at a different point, still within Iraqi waters4 After UK points this out, Iran provides alternative position, now within Iranian waters UK version in more detail |
| Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said in a statement she was "very concerned" about the pictures, which also featured the 14 servicemen seized along with Leading Seaman Turney. | Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said in a statement she was "very concerned" about the pictures, which also featured the 14 servicemen seized along with Leading Seaman Turney. |
| Mrs Beckett said she was concerned about "any indication of pressure on or coercion of our personnel", who she said were on a routine operation in accordance with international law. | Mrs Beckett said she was concerned about "any indication of pressure on or coercion of our personnel", who she said were on a routine operation in accordance with international law. |
| Defence Secretary Des Browne said it was "completely unacceptable to parade our people in this way". | Defence Secretary Des Browne said it was "completely unacceptable to parade our people in this way". |
| Former RAF pilot John Nichol, who was put on television by the Iraqis after being shot down in the first Gulf War, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he had "no doubt" Leading Seaman Turney had been told what to say. | |
| "It is a very difficult position - and she's in a unenviable position where she has to try to placate the people that have captured her and try to keep the whole group safe," he said. | |
| GPS evidence | |
| Tony Blair has said it was time for the UK to "ratchet up" pressure on Iran. | Tony Blair has said it was time for the UK to "ratchet up" pressure on Iran. |
| Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Charles Style, has produced data which he said proves the boarding party was 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters. | Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Charles Style, has produced data which he said proves the boarding party was 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters. |
| The Ministry of Defence also released a photograph of a handheld global positioning satellite device in HMS Cornwall's Lynx helicopter as it flew over the searched merchant vessel. | The Ministry of Defence also released a photograph of a handheld global positioning satellite device in HMS Cornwall's Lynx helicopter as it flew over the searched merchant vessel. |
| Ed Owen, who was an advisor to Jack Straw during his time as foreign secretary, has told BBC Radio Five Live he thought Iran had deliberately engineered the incident. | Ed Owen, who was an advisor to Jack Straw during his time as foreign secretary, has told BBC Radio Five Live he thought Iran had deliberately engineered the incident. |
| "There are people in the Iranian regime who believe that the way to address what they regard as the dangers of the West, as well as expanding Iranian influence, is to confront the West," he said. | "There are people in the Iranian regime who believe that the way to address what they regard as the dangers of the West, as well as expanding Iranian influence, is to confront the West," he said. |
| The Iranian embassy in London said the Britons had been 0.5 km inside Iranian territorial waters. | The Iranian embassy in London said the Britons had been 0.5 km inside Iranian territorial waters. |