(Larijani) In the name of God. It is raining here

I want to work in the Iranian media...


ALERT-IRAN-UK-LARIJANI 2
Iran security chief says British leaders "miscalculating"
sailors' case
Text of report by Iranian TV on 29 March
The Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (Ali
Larijani) has commented on the political ballyhoo created by
the British media over the illegal entry of British military
personnel into Iranian waters. He said that the most logical
approach was for the British to show legal and technical
evidence. But doing so would have meant that everyone would
know that the British forces had entered Iranian waters.
That is why the British tried to cover the reality by
creating furore and ballyhoo and put Iran under pressure.
But they will not succeed to achieve their objectives.

(Reporter) Mr Larijani please comment on the latest
developments in the case of the British sailors who were
arrested in Arvandrud waters. The British have said that
they will suspend their ties with Tehran, what is our
position in this regard?

(Larijani) In the name of God. It is raining here and it is
not the best condition to have an interview.
The truth of the matter was that two British warships were
intercepted in Iranian coastal waters. This is not
unprecedented and British forces, who are in the region,
have previously trespassed (Iran's) coastal waters. Two of
their boats were once intercepted before. On that occasion,
they gave commitment that they would not violate (Iran's) co
astal waters any more. As you know the Convention on the Law
of the Sea has clearly defined coastal waters and the
transit areas. Based on a Majlis-approved law of the sea,
the warships that want to transit through coastal waters
should have permission.
This case is not about transiting. A ship, which belonged to
India or anywhere else, was in our coastal waters and they
(British forces) stopped by to investigate it.
It is very surprising for us that the British government,
instead of investigating the issue seriously from the legal
and technical aspects and assigning a team of experts to
probe into it, has turned the issue into a media campaign
and made arrogant political gestures.
This shows that they do not want the issue to be
investigated properly from a technical point of view. We are
not living in Stone Ages. We have electronic equipment and
GPS systems to show the route of the two boats and that they
were in our coastal waters. We have overlaid it on the map
and it's quite clear.


Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1,
Tehran, in Persian 1030 gmt 29 Mar 07
BBC Mon alert ME1 MEPol sp

29/03/2007 11:22 GMT