Q&A: the Freed British Sailors

What happened?

Iranian naval vessels seized 15 British Royal Navy sailors and marines on the morning of Friday, March 23. They were taken in an area near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, which forms part of the border between Iran and Iraq.

Iran said it did so because the crew was in its waters. The UK rejected this, saying the personnel - who were using inflatable boats launched from HMS Cornwall to carry out a routine inspection of an Indian-flagged civilian ship - were in Iraqi waters.

The Ministry of Defence released evidence it said proved the personnel were 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi territorial waters. This was rejected by Iran.

Why did the British troops not resist arrest?

Military officials said HMS Cornwall would not have had time to send support because it would only have taken the Iranians a few minutes to reach the British party from the Iranian coast, just over seven miles away.

The MoD said the British were "ambushed" by six heavily armed Iranian vessels equipped with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. In contrast, the British, who were disembarking from the cargo vessel having completed their search, had only SA80 semi-automatic rifles and sidearms.

Tony Blair defended the British party's "entirely sensible" decision not to fight, saying to have done so would have led to "severe loss of life".

Did the incident take place in a diplomatically sensitive area?

Yes. Iraq and Iran have disputed navigation rights on the Shatt al-Arab since 1935, when an international commission gave Iraq control. There is also a general tension around Iraq and Iran's borders, with British officials having accused Iran of supplying Iraqi insurgents with weapons and training.

What happened to the captives?

The 14 men and one woman were taken to Tehran and not physically maltreated in any way. However, a number of them were shown on Iranian TV "confessing" that they had been in Iran's territorial waters when they were seized, something Britain protested about vigorously.

After 13 days in captivity, the group learned they would be freed when Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, used a press conference in Tehran to announce their release as a "gift" to the UK. The Britons were later shown on Iranian TV thanking the president for treating them well and apologising for the incident.

They eventually left Tehran on the morning of April 4 on a scheduled British Airways flight to London.

Why were they freed?

While Iran claimed it was simply being magnanimous, it appears the end of the standoff was due to some quiet diplomacy between the countries, notably involving Sir Nigel Sheinwald, the prime minister's chief foreign affairs adviser, and Iran's chief negotiator, Ari Larijani.

Mr Blair said his government's approach had been "firm but calm, not negotiating but not confronting either", and UK officials denied that any deal had been done. Britain did not, as demanded by Iran, admit its personnel had been in Iranian waters.

There was, however, speculation that the deal might have been linked to a US announcement that Iranian diplomats could be given access to five Iranian nationals arrested by American soldiers in northern Iraq in January.

Has either country secured a clear diplomatic victory over the crisis?

Not really. President Ahmadinejad has sought to portray himself as a humanitarian statesman in releasing the captives, but the parading of the UK crew on television has looked at times like crude propaganda.

While the initial incident was an embarrassment for Britain, it can now point to the success of its mixture of tough public rhetoric and private diplomacy in securing the captives' release.

Has this happened before?

In June 2004, six British marines and two sailors were seized by Iran in the Shatt al-Arab waterway. After being initially threatened with prosecution, they were released after high-level contacts between the then foreign secretary, Jack Straw, and the then Iranian minister of foreign affairs, Kamal Kharrazi.

What state are UK-Iranian relations in?

Not as bad as relations between Washington and Tehran. Britain, at least, has had diplomatic relations with Iran, though it is still characterised as "little Satan" to the US's "big Satan". If the captured sailors had been American, the diplomatic fallout could have been very dangerous.

The west and Iran are at loggerheads over Iran's determination to pursue uranium enrichment despite UN disapproval. The UN security council extended the sanctions against Iran.

There have also been tensions between Britain and Iran over allegations that Iran is helping insurgents in southern Iraq with advice and material for bombs targeting British troops around Basra.

What are British naval forces doing in the Gulf?

British ships are working with a US naval force that has recently expanded, with the arrival of a second aircraft carrier battle group. The ships are engaged in routine patrols, and the west has naval forces in the area as a matter of course to ensure the safe passage of oil tankers.

The US is committed to protecting Iraq's southern oil terminals against attack until the Iraqi navy can prove it is capable of ensuring the six miles of shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz stay open. Up to 80% of Europe's trade with Asia, and a substantial proportion of the world's oil and gas, are shipped through local waters.

US officials say they want to send a message to Iran that America has plenty of military muscle in reserve despite its commitments in Iraq.

A large western naval presence can be seen as part of a war of nerves as the US puts pressure on Iran to halt the nuclear work the Bush administration believes is for an atomic bomb.

Which British ships are in the Gulf?

Britain has recently boosted its naval presence, having sent HMS Cornwall, a type-22 frigate, two mine sweepers, HMS Ramsey and HMS Blythe, plus a vessel from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, to the area.