The Permanent Mission Of The Islamic Republic Of Iran To The UN

Press Release

Thursday, 29 March 2007

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

It is unfortunate that, once again, the United Nations Security Council is abused to issue a press statement on an issue of purely bilateral nature that in no way falls within the purview of the Council. On Friday 23 March 2007 , 15 British marines and sailors illegally entered Iranian territorial waters in the northern part of the Persian Gulf , violating the internationally recognized border between Iran and Iraq . The Islamic Republic of Iran, in exercise of its sovereign right to protect its border from transgression and unlawful entry into its territory, had no choice except to stop this illegal move and detain the British marines and sailors.

In fact, this was not the first time the British troops violated the Iranian border since their invasion and occupation of Iraq . In 2004, a similar incursion into the Iranian territorial waters took place by the British forces that resulted in the detention of transgressors and their subsequent release following bilateral contacts between the two governments. At that time, the British Embassy in Tehran expressed, and in fact noted down, the commitment of its government to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran by avoiding the recurrence of such illegal acts in the future.

In the past, Iran had warned the occupying forces in Iraq to fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran as they were conducting their activities. It is now evident that the British troops have neglected to heed this warning. Therefore, attempts to engage the Security Council with this matter of purely bilateral nature are completely unacceptable, unwarranted and unjustifiable. Indeed, none of the Council's resolutions permits the British or other forces in Iraq to violate the territorial waters of a sovereign state.

Iran has already furnished the British government with precise geographical coordinates related to this incident and also is in possession of concrete evidence, mainly based on GPS navigator systems, that clearly indicates the penetration of British military personal deep into the Iranian waters. A number of UK marines have themselves confirmed that they were in Iran 's territorial waters when they were arrested by the Iranian coast guards. Since the outbreak of this incident, the two governments have been closely examining and discussing the case in order to settle it in a mutually acceptable manner. Manifestly, the case entails technical, security and legal aspects that require sufficient time to address.

The press statement which was imposed on the Security Council today and the Council's action, in and by itself, is in violation of the Security Council's Charter-based mandate and runs counter to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter as regard the respect for the territorial integrity of sovereign states. It is also against the basic provisions of international law which call for the respect for international borders.

In view of the above, this case can and should be settled through bilateral channels. The British Government's attempt to engage third parties, including the Security Council, with this case is not helpful. Iran has demonstrated its resolve to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty in the past and will continue to do so in the future. No doubt, Iran abides by its moral and legal commitments as regard the treatment of the detainees. All detained British marines and sailors are safe, well and in good health.