The NEWS From IRAN

***Deputy Commander in Chief of Armed Forces General Staff confirming arrest of 15 British sailors by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval forces in Iran's territorial waters on Friday March 23, 2007, said the sailors were under interrogation and have confessed violating Iranian territorial waters.

According to Armed Forces Media Department report on Saturday, General Ali-Reza Afshar said," the arrest shows our forces' readiness to defend the country at all times."

Deputy in Cultural Affairs and Defence Advertisement said repeated threats of enemies have caused promotion and growth of country's defence abilities adding the US and its allies know if they make a mistake in their calculations over the issue of invasion of Iran, they would not be able to control the dimensions of that miscalculation.

He pointed out the US was hopeful to end imposed war against Iran (by Iraq) in six days, but it took 8 years and Iraq was finally defeated too.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini had already condemned illegal entrance of British forces into Iran's territorial waters and called it a suspicious act and against international law and regulations.

15 British sailors were arrested on Friday morning by Iran's naval force in Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf.

They were arrested in Arvandroud area in the northern coast of the Persian Gulf.

***The White House has created obstacle in issuing visa for Iranian president to take part in the meeting of the Security Council.


President mahmoud Ahmadinejad decided to go to New York to defend Iranian right at the Security Council debate on Iranian nuclear program on Saturday.

Deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal Affairs Abbas Araghchi expressed regret at absence of cooperation on part of the US Administration for issuing visa for the Iranian president.

"Despite completing application formality for the visa and the US Administration officials promises to grant visa at the earliest possible time, the visa is not available for the time being. It should have been issued sometime ago," he said.

"It seems the US Administration is following its unilateral approach by visa refusal for the Iranian president. It is blatant violation of the consular undertaking of the UN host country in dealing with visa requests for officials of the United Nations Member States and another indication of the US ill-intention toward Iranian nuclear program."
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