Iranian protesters denounce Britain

TEHRAN -- More than 150 students pelted the British Embassy with firecrackers and a smoke grenade yesterday, demanding an apology and the closure of the mission following Iran's detention of 15 British sailors and marines in the northern Persian Gulf.

Shouting slogans such as "Death to Britain" and carrying banners with a call to "finally wipe Israel from the face of the Earth," hard-line Islamist students attempted to scale the embassy walls and pull down the flag, but riot police rebuffed them.

The protest came as British and Iranian officials carried on behind-the-scenes diplomatic contacts over the weekend aimed at defusing the standoff that began March 23 when Iranian gunboats intercepted two British patrol boats in disputed waters south of the Shatt al - Arab waterway.

Iran was said to be studying a British diplomatic note sent in response to its own, which reportedly has suggested that Britain provide a guarantee that it will not commit any future incursions into Iranian waters. Britain has refused to apologize, maintaining that its service members were in Iraqi waters.

Iranian television yesterday showed pictures of two of the 15 British sailors and marines held in Iran, and said they admitted that they were captured after entering Iranian waters.

State-run Al-Alam television showed footage of the two men in khaki uniforms standing separately in front of a large map of the Gulf, and pointing to it while speaking. Their remarks could not be heard. The map showed the positions of various vessels near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, which forms the southern border between Iran and Iraq. The naval map also indicated areas where there was danger from mines. "The point where intruding boats were captured" was written on the map in English.

In London, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said, "I would just reiterate that it's unacceptable for these pictures to be shown given the potential distress to their families."

Defense Minister Des Browne said British and Iranian officials have continued bilateral contacts , hoping to end the crisis quickly.

"We are anxious that this matter be resolved as quickly as possible, and we are bending every single effort to do that," he told the BBC yesterday. "We are in direct bilateral communications with the Iranians, and they know that not only do we have a very clear position, but we have the support of almost the entire international community."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran did not refer directly to the detained British service members but predicted that "arrogant powers" would vanish like "bubbles on water," during an address in the city of Khorramshahr in southwestern Iran.

He also pledged yesterday that there would be additional developments in Iran's controversial nuclear program. "The Iranian nation will soon hear fresh news about our country's nuclear transition," Ahmadinejad said, according to Iranian television.

Britain has joined the United States and other Western nations in demanding that Iran stop enriching uranium.

In Tehran, the protest at the British Embassy did not result in any injuries or damage to the buildings, the British Foreign Office said. Most of the protesters were university students or members of the Basij citizens volunteer paramilitary force, which is commonly seen at demonstrations.

Times special correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran; staff writer Murphy from London. Material from Reuters was included in this report.