Iran releases new pictures of captured Britons

By Duncan Hooper and Emma Henry

Last Updated: 4:11pm BST 03/04/2007

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Iran has today published fresh pictures of some of the 15 captured British service personnel as Tony Blair said that negotiations to free them were entering a "critical" phase.

The Prime Minister said that the "door is open" to a diplomatic solution to the 12-day-old crisis, if the Iranians wanted one. But he also warned Teheran that Britain would take progressively tougher measures if there were no moves to free the detainees.

The pictures released by an Iranian news agency show the sailors and marines dressed in track suits and smiling. For the first time, pictures featuring Leading Seaman Faye Turney - the only woman in the group - did not show her wearing a headscarf.

The pictures were released as Iran's vice president, Parviz Davoudi, called on Britain to accept that the personnel had crossed into Iranian waters.

"Certainly, if Britain accepts that they have illegally trespassed into Iran and guarantee that they won't repeat it, the issue will obviously become negotiable and can be resolved through a rational process," he said.

The Government, however, remains adamant that the personnel were operating legitimately in Iraqi territorial waters in the northern Gulf when they were seized by the Iranians on March 23.

Last night, one of Iran's most senior politicians had offered new hope for the swift release of 15 captured British sailors and marines, saying direct negotiations were underway and that the situation was "quite resolvable".

Speaking to Channel 4 News, Ali Larijani, chief of the Iranian National Security Council, indicated the fourteen men and one woman would not face a show trial.

Today, Iranian radio cited Mr Larijani saying that the British Government has started diplomatic talks with the foreign ministry in Teheran in order to "resolve the issue of the arrest of the British military personnel."

He suggested that Britain would need to send a diplomatic delegation to Teheran, admit that its Navy had made a mistake by straying into Iranian waters and guarantee that the error would not be repeated.

The Prime Minister said this morning that the remarks seemed to offer "some prospect but the most important thing is to get these people back."

"All the way through this we've really had two tracks on this: one is to make sure Iran understands that the pressure is there available to us if this thing has to be hard and tough and long," he told Real Radio while in Glasgow for the Holyrood election.

"On the other hand, to say all the way through we're not looking for confrontation over this and actually the most important thing is to get the people back safe and sound and if they want to resolve this in a diplomatic way the door is open."

Mr Larijani had given further hope to the anxious families of the eight sailors and seven Marines, saying it was "our interest to solve the problem as soon as possible".

There was "no benefit" in keeping British troops "away from their families from a humanitarian view", he said.

However, he insisted that the Navy had strayed into Iran and had GPS evidence to prove it.

Mr Larijani said Britain should be "brave enough" to admit "their mistake, confess to it and leave".

"The solution is very clear," he said. "First of all they have to put aside the irrational moves and resorting to the language of force.

"Secondly, there is a difference of view between the UK Government and the Iranian government and this issue should be resolved bilaterally.

"They should clarify the fact of whether they have been in our territorial waters or not."

He appeared irritated by the Government accusing Iran of taking the service personnel hostage and said the European Union had "started to condemn Iran without knowing the facts".

He accused the EU of using "the language of force" by expressing "unconditional support" for Britain and threatening "appropriate measures" unless the captives were released quickly.

Before Mr Larijani's interview the Prime Minister's spokesman said there was "a lot going on behind the scenes".

It appeared that the Iranian politician's appearance on live British television was Iran's response after an exchange of notes with the British embassy in Teheran.

"The Iranians know our position. They know that stage-managed TV appearances aren't going to affect our position," a Foreign Office spokesman said.

Mr Larijani appeared to indicate that there would be no further televised appearances by British personnel confessing and apologising for entering Iran.

It had been claimed that all 15 British service personnel had confessed to illegally entering the country's waters but state-run radio in Iran reported that any further confessions were not being broadcast because of "positive changes" in Britain's stance.