The female British sailor detained by Iran along with 14 others after their illegal entry to Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf has apologized to Tehran for the incursion.

In an interview to be broadcast later on Wednesday on television, Faye Turney, apologized for the violation of the Iranian sovereignty by the British navy service people on Friday.

She said Iranians have treated her and the other soldiers in a humane, moral manner.

The incident began Friday after a British vessel stopped and investigated a merchant ship in Iranian waters of the Persian Gulf, prompting Iranian naval forces to rush to the scene and detain the British servicemen.

The detainees were moved to Tehran on Saturday for further investigation into the incident.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned British ambassador Geoffrey Adams to Tehran to convey Iran's harsh protest over the illegal entry of British sailors into Iranian territorial waters.

Iranians officials stressed the 15 British sailors knew they had trespassed into Iranian waters.

Mohammad Ali Hosseini, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said Tuesday the British sailors have been treated well. "They are in completely good health. Rest assured that they have been treated with humanitarian and moral behavior."

Iran says British forces have made several incursions into its territorial waters in the Persian Gulf since 2003, after the overthrow of Saddam's regime in Iraq.

In 2004, Iran detained and later released eight British marines after a similar incident. Britain later apologized to Iran for the illegal entry of its forces into Iranian waters, claiming the marines did not realize they had left Iraqi territory.

AMM/KB