Azerbaijan protests over Iranian ship interception

Azerbaijan has protested to Iran over an incident in which an Iranian navy ship and a military aircraft threatened and intercepted two Azeri oil exploration ships in disputed waters of the southern Caspian Sea.

The vessels, leased by the oil company BP Amoco, were forced to return to the capital, Baku.

The Azeri Prime Minister, Artur Rasizada, summoned Iran's ambassador in Baku over the incident.

BP Amoco has announced it is suspending operations in the area until the dispute is resolved.

The confrontation follows protests by Iran against Azerbaijan's plans to explore oil deposits together with a western consortium in waters claimed by Iran.

Tehran says that any oil or gas found in the Caspian Sea should be shared equally by the five countries that surround it.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service