Freed British sailors say captors were 'friendly'

The British sailors who were freed after a week in Iranian custody say they were "well treated" by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) during their brief detention.

"As time went by, the guys treated us very well. There was no animosity at all," said Oliver Smith, one of the five British nationals who were detained after their yacht drifted into Iranian waters.

Smith, who made the comments upon arriving at London's Heathrow Airport on Friday, said he is sure that their captors "meant well" and were "just doing their jobs" in terms of protecting Iran's territorial waters.

David Bloomer, a Bahrain-based British radio journalist, said the yacht had strayed into Iranian waters as they tried to avoid oil rigs in the area.

"Very quickly the people who had stopped us and the people at the base realized it was an innocent mistake," said Bloomer, who did not join the men on their return flight. .

"All the Iranians - once they discovered that we had no evil intention, it was a genuine mistake - started to be friendly to us," he said.