Southampton sailor held in Iran (From This is Hampshire)

Southampton sailor held in Iran

10:32pm Monday 30th November 2009 in

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A SOUTHAMPTON man is amongst five British sailors who have been detained by the Iranian navy while sailing from Bahrain to Dubai.

Oliver Smith, 31, has been named as part of the crew sailing from Bahrain to Dubai, the foreign office has confirmed.

The racing yacht - the Kingdom Of Bahrain, owned by Sail Bahrain and crewed by the five Britons was stopped by Iranian naval vessels last Wednesday.

The crew members are still in Iran and are understood to be safe and well. Their families have been informed.

The sailors were heading to Dubai to join the Dubai-Muscat Offshore Sailing Race and the Foreign Office has said the yacht might have “inadvertently” strayed into Iranian waters.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that officials had contacted their Iranian counterparts as soon as they became aware of the situation.

He explained: "FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) officials immediately contacted the Iranian authorities in London and in Tehran on the evening of November 25, both to seek clarification and to try and resolve the matter swiftly.

"Our ambassador in Tehran has raised the issue with the Iranian foreign ministry and we have discussed the matter with the Iranian embassy in London. I hope this issue will soon be resolved.

"We will remain in close touch with the Iranian authorities, as well as the families."