FACTBOX-Statement by sailors detained in Iran

CHIVENOR (Reuters) - The 15 British sailors and marines seized by Iran in the Gulf said they were blindfolded, bound, kept in isolation and warned they faced up to seven years in jail.

Here are the main quotes from the statement they gave at a news conference on Friday:

"Yesterday we were reunited with our families after a 14-day ordeal that none of us will forget."

"Some of the Iranian sailors were becoming deliberately aggressive and unstable. They rammed our boat and trained their heavy machine guns, RPGs and weapons on us."

"Had we resisted there would have been a major fight, one we could not have won with consequences that would have had major strategic impact."

"The questions (when initially arrested) were aggressive and the handling rough, but it was no worse than that."

They were moved to a Tehran prison.

"We were blindfolded, our hands were bound and we were forced up against a wall. Throughout our ordeal we faced constant psychological pressure.

"Later we were stripped and then dressed in pyjamas. The next few nights were spent in stone cells, approximately 8ft by 6ft, sleeping on piles of blankets. All of us were kept in isolation.