Detention of British forces without the permission of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei?

On the first of Tir 1383 (June 21, 2004), IRGC forces seized three British Royal Navy patrol boats and detained eight British military personnel, including six Royal Marines and two sailors.

Iran announced that these boats had entered Iran's territorial waters by about one kilometer and that their occupants were being interrogated.

But Britain claimed that its forces were operating on a training mission to train the Iraqi river police and had probably crossed the maritime border by mistake.

This incident occurred at a time when Tehran-London relations were strained over Iran's nuclear file and the resolution of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

After three days of intensive negotiations between Kamal Kharrazi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Jack Straw, the British Foreign Secretary, the eight military personnel were released on the 4th of Tir 1383 (June 24, 2004) and handed over to British diplomats.

Although the two countries considered this incident a misunderstanding! Iran, of course, did not return the seized boats, weapons, and navigation equipment.

But what is more important than this narrative?

On the 2nd of Tir 1383 (June 22, 2004), Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani went to visit Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and heard from him that:
"The British military personnel were detained at Bahmanshir and not the Arvand Rud," and he told the Ayatollah: If this is true, it should be said sooner, because they have no excuse for entering Bahmanshir.

Ayatollah immediately upon hearing this suggestion ordered by telephone that the correct news be broadcast.

More important than this narrative is another significant matter:

During this meeting, Akbar Hashemi realized that the detention of the British had been carried out without obtaining the opinion and approval of the Leader of the Islamic Republic, which is noteworthy in a matter of such importance.

Of course, there is no precise information available about the order and actions of the then Commander-in-Chief with the chain of command in a matter that was without the knowledge of the Commander-in-Chief.