Shatt al-Arab, Iran
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard captured three British naval vessels this week and arrested their crews for allegedly straying into Iranian waters. The three boats were on a routine patrol of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, which marks part of the border between Iran and Iraq. Iran said it would release the eight sailors once it was satisfied that the incursion was unintentional. In the meantime, it milked the arrests for full propaganda value, showing one of the sailors on Iranian state television saying, “I do apologize for entering Iranian territorial waters.” British diplomats tried to downplay widespread media speculation that the arrests were Iran’s way of getting back at Britain for having co-sponsored an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution criticizing Iran’s nuclear efforts.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What's the best time of year to buy a house?The Explainer There are pros and cons to each season
-
Africa's largest dam is making diplomatic wavesUnder the Radar Ethiopians view using the Nile as a 'sovereign right' but the vast hydroelectric project has 'fuelled nationalist fervour' in Egypt and Sudan
-
Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is moreFeature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
