UN-Truth

The Associated Press is reporting that “Britain took its case to the United Nations, asking the Security Council to ‘deplore’ Iranian actions and urge the immediate release of the prisoners. But after four hours of private talks, the 15-nation council opted for a softer statement that expressed ‘grave concern’ over Iran’s actions and called for an early resolution of the dispute … [Later] Britain said it was giving ’serious consideration’ to a message from Iran that appears to propose a new condition for freeing 15 British navy personnel and ending the crisis over their capture without a ‘confrontation’. Britain’s Foreign Office told The Associated Press about the Iranian proposal late Thursday, after Britain failed to win UN support for a statement deploring Tehran’s seizure of the Britons off Iraq’s coast last week. ‘We can confirm that as reported in the Iranian media, that the Iranian government has sent a formal note to the British Embassy’, a spokeswoman said. ‘Such exchanges are always confidential but we are giving the message serious consideration and will soon respond formally to the Iranian government’. The spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with Foreign Office policy, refused to elaborate. Iran claims the British sailors and marines, part of a Royal Navy force patrolling the Persian Gulf for smugglers, were operating in its waters when captured last Friday. The incident came several months into the escalating standoff between Iran and the United Nations over Tehran’s nuclear program”.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070330/ap_on_re_mi_ea/
british_seized_iran;_ylt=AqridX2Ju7KZpYAsi4l_tA0LewgF

On Friday, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s News Agency, IRNA, released the text of Iranian government’s letter to Britain:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran presents its compliments to the British Embassy in Tehran and draws the attention of the latter to the following:
According to the information received from relevant authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, two British naval vessels manned by 15 fully equipped crews trespassed on Iran’s territorial waters on 3 Farvardin 1386 (March 23, 2007). Since similar acts had taken place in the past and prior warning had been given against the repetition of such acts, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran protests strongly against this illegal act in violating Iranian territorial waters, emphasizes the respect for the rules and principles of international law concerning the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, underlines the responsibility of the British Government for the consequences of such violation, and calls for the guarantee to avoid the recurrence of such acts.
It will be appreciated if the esteemed embassy conveys this note to the relevant authorities of its government and informs this Ministry of any explanation in this regard.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the British Embassy the assurances of its highest considerations.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070330/ap_on_re_mi_ea/britain_iran_
letter;_ylt=Aqvz02jPq9dzfe9qkR4yj50LewgF

Filed under: Iran, UN Security Council