Royal Navy personnel seized by Iran were blindfolded, bound and held in isolation during their 13 days in captivity, the crew have said.

They were lined up while weapons were cocked, making them "fear the worst", one of the 15 freed sailors revealed.

The crew were told that if they did not admit they were in Iranian waters when captured that they faced seven years in prison, a press conference heard.

Opposing their captors was "not an option," they said.

And after their capture the 15 marines and sailors were subjected to random interrogation and rough handling, and faced constant psychological pressure, they said.

Royal Marine Captain Chris Air, 25, from Altrincham, Cheshire, explained why they had not fought back when confronted by the Iranians while carrying out a routine operation.

"We are aware that many people have questioned why we allowed ourselves to be taken in the first place and why we allowed ourselves to be shown by the Iranian authorities on television.

"Let me be absolutely clear, from the outset it was very apparent that fighting back was simply not an option".

"Had we chosen to do so then many of us would not be standing here today. Of that I have no doubts".

Had they resisted there would have been a major fight and "one we could not have won."

Random interrogation

Two of the crew read out a prepared statement to the press conference at the Royal Marines Barracks at Chivenor, in north Devon.

Lieutenant Felix Carman, 26, of Swansea, south Wales, said the sailors and marines were on an operation on 23 March, 1.7 nautical miles from Iranian waters, when they were captured.

Cpt Chris Air said the crew had made it clear they were on a "routine operation allowed under a UN mandate" but the Iranians had a "planned intent."

"Some of the Iranian sailors were becoming deliberately aggressive and unstable."

Their boat was surrounded by six boats and rammed and they were trained with heavy machine guns and weapons.

During their captivity the crew spent nights in stone cells, sleeping on blankets and were kept in isolation until their last few nights.

The only woman in the group, Leading Seaman Faye Turney was told by her captors the others had been freed and gone home.

The officer in charge Lt Carman said: "We were interrogated most nights, and presented with two options.

"If we admitted we had strayed, we would be on a plane back to the UK soon. If we didn't we faced up to seven years in prison".

He continued: "We were kept in isolation until the last few nights, when we were allowed to gather for a few hours together, in the full glare of Iranian media.

When they finally learned they were going to be released from watching the Iranian president on TV he said "there a huge moment of elation".

The navy has already begun a review of the circumstances leading to the capture.

Photo caption

Lieutenant Felix Carman