Downing Street Says

» Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Iran

Asked if the Prime Minister was concerned about the continuing detention of eight British military personnel in Iran, the PMOS said that of course we remained concerned. We had been in contact with the Iranian authorities at different levels and locations and would continue to speak to them to try to resolve the issue as quickly and as easily as possible for all concerned. We would also continue to keep the relatives of those detained in Iran informed of any developments. Asked if the Prime Minister was concerned that the detainees had been paraded on Iranian television, the PMOS said that we would continue to underline to the Iranian Government that we expected those being held to be treated in accordance with the relevant international criteria. Our view would be underlined once again this afternoon in a meeting with the Iranian Ambassador.

Asked if he continued to stand by his statement this morning that the eight Marines and Royal Navy sailors had been engaged in a training exercise with Iraqis when they were captured, the PMOS said the Foreign Office had confirmed that they had been involved in an entirely routine exercise. Put to him that the MoD had said that the eight Britons had been delivering a boat, the PMOS said that as he understood it, the delivery of the boat had been part of our efforts to help the Iraqi river patrol service to equip itself.

Asked if the Prime Minister might get involved, the PMOS said that as he had told journalists this morning, the Foreign Secretary had spoken to his opposite number in Tehran earlier today. We were still awaiting a formal response to that conversation. Asked if we were any clearer about which elements of the Iranian Government were responsible for the detention of the Britons, the PMOS said that we would await the formal response of the Iranian Government to the conversations that had been taking place today. He took the opportunity to point out that they had denied that the eight were to be prosecuted.

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Iran

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