Iran to deal 'firmly' with Britons if found guilty

TEHERAN: A top aide to Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday confirmed the detention of five Britons in Gulf waters and vowed they will be dealt with "firmly" if found guilty.

Ahmadinejad's chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, said the way to deal with the British nationals "arrested in the Persian Gulf by Iranian forces will be decided by the judiciary," Fars news agency reported.

"If these people's ill-intention is proven, they will be dealt with seriously and firmly," he said, adding Teheran had in the past dealt firmly with people who "entered Iran illegally."