Iran has seized three British military boats that entered its territorial waters near the Iraqi border, detaining eight soldiers, according to Iran's Arabic-language satellite news channel, Al-Alam.
The British military has confirmed three of its vessels and eight crew disappeared in the Shatt al-Arab waters. The waterway marks the southern boundary between Iran and Iraq.
The incident occurred shortly before midday.
British armed forces control an area of southern Iraq around the
City of Basra and patrol parts of the Shatt al-Arab waterway with
small boats.
Relations between Britain and Iran have been strained in recent
months with the embassy here being targeted by a string of angry demonstrations sparked by an Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal.
