My comments were aimed at the ractions of IW members on this thread rather than at the actions of any nations.

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Apparently there is now a new twist to the story.</font>

Iran accused of forcing Naval crew over border

ALISON HARDIE
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT


Key points
• Iran and UK in new diplomatic row over naval crew arrest in Iranian waters
• Iran fails to return satellite equipment taken from naval crew within deadline
• Captured British naval crew paraded blindfolded on Iranian TV

Key quote
"In a recent debriefing the crews have said that they were operating inside the Iraqi border and were forcibly escorted into Iranian territorial waters" - Geoff Hoon, Defence Secretary

Story in full IRAN stood accused last night of "forcing" British naval crews into its territorial waters on the sensitive border with Iraq before arresting and holding them captive for three days.

The accusation, made to naval chiefs by the eight-strong crew, thrust Britain into another diplomatic stand-off with Iran which failed yesterday to meet the deadline for the return of satellite positioning equipment it seized from the six marines and two Royal Navy sailors. Negotiations with the government in Tehran are expected to begin again in earnest today.

Experts at the Ministry of Defence said the only sure method of uncovering what had happened on the Shatt al Arab waterway was through close examination of the global positioning system on board the three British boats.

A source said the return of the equipment was "imperative", but suggested the worsening relations between London and Tehran made that prospect a "challenging" one.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has insisted it challenged the British crews after they strayed across the disputed border between Iraq and Iran.

The men, who were delivering patrol boats to the new Iraqi Riverine Patrol Service in Basra, were released - but not before they were paraded blindfolded on Iranian television. In a terse written statement issued yesterday, Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, said: "In a recent debriefing the crews have said that they were operating inside the Iraqi border and were forcibly escorted into Iranian territorial waters.

"Our assessment continues and will be greatly assisted by the retrieval of navigational information in the global positioning system equipment carried by the crews. We are very concerned about the blindfolding of the men and have made representations to the government of Iran. We have made it clear that we do not expect a recurrence of this incident."

An MoD source said: "If the crew was moved forcibly from its course, then the GPS will show a definite change in pace and direction."