Blair warns Iran of new phase in sailor dispute

IRAN condemned as "provocative" today comments by Prime Minister Tony Blair warning of a "different phase" in British efforts to secure the release of 15 naval personnel detained by Iran.

"The media campaigns and provocative ... remarks regarding the violation of Iranian territorial waters by the British sailors are doing nothing to help settle the affair," said foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini.
"The British service personnel entered Iranian waters illegally and the case will follow its legal and judicial course."
In an interview with GMTV television overnight, Mr Blair said Britain was trying to "pursue this through the diplomatic channels and make the Iranian government understand these people have to be released".
"I hope we manage to get them to realise they have to release them. If not, then this will move into a different phase," he said.
Mr Blair's official spokesman said London was not looking to escalate the stand-off and would prefer to resolve the spat quietly.
But London is clearly seeking to keep up the pressure on Tehran, which has rejected growing international calls to free the naval personnel.
Britain has Iraqi backing in its insistence that the 15 sailors and marines were on "routine" anti-smuggling operations in Iraqi waters when they were seized at gunpoint in the Shatt al-Arab waterway.
Iran says they entered its territorial waters illegally.
Mr Hosseini said that British diplomats would be able to meet the 15 once investigators had completed questioning them about what they had been doing in Iranian waters.
British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, who cut short a visit to Ankara yesterday to report to MPs on the row with Iran, had earlier renewed calls for immediate consular access to the captive personnel.
"If indeed they are being detained in reasonable circumstances, then we can see no reason why they should not have contact with people from the British government," she said.

From correspondents in Tehran

March 28, 2007 12:00/ daily telegraph