Iran Media Coverage of Detained UK Naval Personnel 1400 Gmt 30 Mar 07

Mar 30, 10:37 AM

Current Headlines: Iranian media and news agencies were monitored from 0430 gmt to 1400 gmt for coverage of the arrest of British navy personnel in the Persian Gulf. Unlike previous days, the story was at the top of the news agenda, with the News Network (IRINN) covering breaking news on "an interview" with another British sailor, Nathan Thomas Summers.

No newspapers are published in Iran on Fridays and therefore the behaviour note does not cover the press.

TV

Iran's Arabic-language TV Al-Alam was the first TV channel to broadcast the "interview" with mechanical operator Nathan Thomas Summers at 1000 gmt. The TV showed three arrested people, Faye Turney, Nathan Thomas Summers and an unidentified man. (Alerted as: Iran TV shows footage of British navy crew)

Iran's News Network (IRINN) at 1017 gmt followed Al-Alam by showing recorded footage of the interview wherein Summers says that he was arrested in "Iranian waters" and that he was being treated well. The TV also showed footage of the arrest of the British sailors in Persian Gulf waters. (Alerted as: Iranian TV shows UK Marine Thomas Summers; TV shows UK marine Summers admitting "trespassing" into Iranian waters)

At 1245, IRINN's London bureau held a studio interview with Piruz Mojtahedzadeh, a London-based Iranian political specialist. He said the incident has given Tony Blair an excuse to increase pressure on Iran and that Tehran should act more carefully and not allow Western public opinion to be distorted.

Iranian TV's domestic network one, which has the broadest number of viewers, for the first time since the arrest of the British sailors covered the story as the lead story in its main 1030 gmt bulletin and allocated nearly 12 minutes of the 17-minute bulletin to the issue. It aired interviews with members of the public in which they said that "aggression" was "in the blood" of the British. (Processed as: Iranian public says aggression in "blood" of British). The bulletin continued to cover diplomatic consultations and telephone conversations between Iranian and Western officials to solve the row.

Tehran's Friday prayer leader's remarks with respect to the arrest were covered 12 minutes into the bulletin. Hojjat ol-Eslam Ahmad Khatami delivered Tehran's Friday prayers sermons where he thanked Iranian coastguards for their vigilance. (Processed as: UK attack on Iran consulate postponed release of marine cleric; Tehran prayer leader thanks coastguards for arresting British "aggressors"). The bulletin continued with footage of Friday prayer worshippers holding a rally after prayers and chanting anti-British slogans.

Radio

Iranian radio's main domestic network continued to report heavy snowfall as the lead story in its 1030 gmt bulletin. It carried the voice of Nathan Thomas Summers 15 minutes into the bulletin. The bulletin was surprisingly low-key and did not give an extensive coverage to the issue.

News agencies

Iran's official news agency, IRNA, was the first news organization to break the news of Nathan Thomas Summers' confessions, carrying a story on this at 0935 gmt, i.e. before the pictures were broadcast by Al-Alam. (Processed as: Another British sailor says "treated well" in Iran)

Other news agencies also covered the story almost concurrent with the TV. At the same time, the semi-official news agency Fars carried news reports on increasing anti-British sentiments among Iranian youth who were in Tehran's 100,000-seat football stadium to attend the most famous derby match in the capital (processed as: Over 60,000 Iranian football fans chant "Death to Britain" in stadium). Other stories such as tightened security near the British embassy were picked up by ISNA and Fars. (Iranian police place tight security measures around British embassy agency)

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