The Iranian military has claimed that 15 Royal Navy personnel detained in the Gulf yesterday have confessed to entering Iranian waters illegally.
Britain says that the 14 men and one woman were inside Iraqi territory.
The 15 personnel detained yesterday were based on HMS Cornwall and had been examining the cargo of an Iraqi ship before being arrested.
They are reportedly being questioned in Tehran, and Iranian authorities say they are in good health.
In a televised statement today, the deputy chief of Iran's military staff said that British marines had confessed to being in Iranian territorial waters and were warned that Iran was strong enough to defend itself.
The British Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, has said the servicemen were ambushed in Iraqi territory.
Britain has said that the eight sailors and seven marines were in Iraqi waters and has called for their immediate release.
