British serviceman apologizes on TV for entering Iranian waters

A British military serviceman appeared on Iran's official Arabic-language TV on Friday and apologized for entering Iranian waters "without permission."

The serviceman, whose name was given in Farsi as Nighton Thomas Summers, said he was aware that the incident in which he was seized was the second time since 2004 that British military personnel had entered Iranian waters.

"Again I deeply apologize for entering your waters," Summers said.

He was shown sitting with another serviceman and the female British sailor Faye Turney against a floral curtain. Both serviceman wore camouflage fatigues with a label saying "Royal Navy" on their chests and a little British flag stitched to their left sleeves.

Seizure as documented by Iranians (Photo: AFP)

The three were among 15 British sailors and marines detained by the Iranian navy on March 23 while patrolling near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway for smugglers.

Britain has demanded their release, insisting that they were in Iraqi waters at the time they were intercepted. But Iran has demanded that Britain acknowledge that its sailors had violated Iranian waters, with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki saying Thursday that such an admission would help to secure their release.

Minutes before Summers appeared on TV, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said that he had given a statement. The news agency said he was a rifleman in the Royal Marines.

"We entered Iranian waters without permission and we were detained by Iranian coast guards. I would like to apologise for this to the Iranian people," the agency quoted him as saying.

"Since our detention on March 23, everything has been very good and I'm completely satisfied about the situation," Summers added.

The TV showed pictures of the light British naval boats at the time of the sailors' seizure. The helicopter flying in the background was British, the al-Alam newscaster said.

'Using servicemen for propaganda outrageous'

Britain's Foreign Office denounced Iran for broadcasting footage.

"Using our service men in this way for propaganda reasons is outrageous," said a Foreign Office spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad demanded an apology from Britain over what Iran says was the illegal entry of 15 British navy personnel into its waters last week, the Fars news agency reported on Friday.

Fars said he made the statement in a telephone conversation with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. Other Iranian media also reported a call to the Turkish prime minister on Thursday but did not mention the demand for an apology from London.

Meanshile, Iranian cleric Ayatollah Ahmed Khatami warned that "if Britain continues to act viciously it will pay a heavy price," the Iranian news agency Mehr reported.

During Friday's sermon at Tehran's main mosque, Khatami said that "Iran's enemies must know that it will respond with force to any trespassing."

Dudi Cohen and Reuters contributed to the report