British sailors released by Iran

Luxury yacht charter customers may be glad to hear that five British sailors have been released by Iranian authorities after being arrested onboard their vessel.

The Revolutionary Guards revealed in a statement that it was satisfied that the sailors' boat had entered the country's waters by mistake and that the men can now return home.

It had initially been feared that the five would face a long detention while the Iranian government established their motives for entering its waters unannounced.

This has been the case for others in the past, but a statement on Iranian state radio this morning (December 2nd) said that the Kingdom of Bahrain crew were to be released just a week after their arrest.

The Foreign Office and foreign secretary David Miliband were reportedly involved in discussions about the men's fate after Iran revealed that it was attempting to establish whether there was "evil intent" on behalf of the crew.

Iranian officials seized the yacht as it travelled from Bahrain to Dubai, where the crew were hoping to participate in a 360-mile race around the Straits of Hormuz.

However, they were reportedly blown off course when a propeller failed during their trip last week, causing them to drift towards a politically-sensitive body of water.

The United Arab Emirates is a popular destination for yacht charter customers, especially during events like the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix.

Posted by George Clifford