Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press

TEHRAN, 24 June 2004 — The release of eight British troops has been postponed until at least today, Iranian state television reported yesterday, contradicting earlier reports that they had already been freed. There was no immediate clarification. Hours earlier an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman had told The Associated Press the troops had been freed, but it would take hours before they were handed over to British authorities.

The six Royal Marines and two British sailors were detained Monday after their three boats apparently strayed into Iranian waters on the Shatt Al-Arab waterway that runs along the Iran-Iraq border.

Iran’s Arabic language TV channel Al-Alam broadcast an “urgent” caption on its screen at 1640 GMT reading: “The second round of talks on the British detainees is postponed until tomorrow, Thursday” June 24, according to a translation provided by the British Broadcasting Corp. The Iranian channel had earlier reported the release could be delayed to today. It said British and Iranian officials had been negotiating in the southwest Iranian town of Mah Shahr near the spot the British servicemen were detained.

In London, the British Foreign Office said it had not been told officially that the release had been delayed to today.

A British diplomat conceded, however, that as night had fallen in Iran, it was possible the release would not take place until today.

Earlier yesterday, the Foreign Office said three British diplomats were traveling from Tehran to Abadan, a port on the Shatt Al-Arab and 90 kilometers (56 miles) west of Mah Shahr, to receive the eight servicemen.

“They (Iranian officials) have told us they will release them to our custody today,” the Foreign Office spokesman said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. “We have got a team of three from our British Embassy down there and that will be the conduit.”

Prime Minister Tony Blair’s official spokesman also said yesterday that Tehran had told Britain the men would be released later in the day. “The Iranian authorities have now confirmed to us that they are going to release them later today, and we remain in discussion with the Iranians through our embassy in Tehran,” said the prime minister’s spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity.