Iran said on Monday that the 15 British sailors detained by Iranian forces on Friday are currently being interrogated, state television reported.

"The British sailors are currently being interrogated and they must clarify whether they entered Iranian waters on purpose or by mistake," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Mostafavi said. He rejected British claims that they were in Iraqi waters when the Iranian navy forces seized them on Friday.

"Iran has enough evidence to prove that the British naval personnel were detained in Iranian waters," Mostafavi said. The British authorities have said that the 15 British naval personnel were seized Friday by Iranian forces when they were patrolling off the Iraqi borders.

Iran warned that 15 British sailors could face charges for allegedly entering Iranian waters and rejected British requests to meet with the servicemen.

Mostafavi said Iran isn't looking to trade 15 captured British sailors for five Iranians arrested in Iraq.

British and US officials said the incident took place when the British soldiers were engaged in routine boarding operations of merchant shipping in Iraqi territorial waters in support of UN Security Council Resolution 1723 and the government of Iraq.

However, Iranian military officer General Alireza Afshar said on Saturday that the 15 British sailors have "confessed their mistakes of illegally entering Iranian waters", local Fars news agency reported.

(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2007)