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Blair: We've 48 hours to save sailors
Last updated at 18:07pm on 03.04.07Tony Blair said today the next 48 hours are crucial in negotiating the release of the British hostages.
The Prime Minister's comments came as a new picture of the hostages was released by an Iranian news agency. He told Iran the "door is open" to a diplomatic deal.
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This picture, apparently a still taken from a video, showed six sailors sitting in blue and red tracksuits on a carpet in a room with what appears to be a little bowl of nuts standing in the middle of the group
Mr Blair was responding to comments by a key player in the Iranian government who had raised hopes by referring to secret talks going on between his foreign ministry and the Foreign Office.
Iran's chief negotiator Dr Ali Larijani stressed such moves were at an early stage but added: "If they continue on this path, they can change the situation logically."
Referring to Dr Larijani's comments, Mr Blair said: "The next 48 hours will be fairly critical."
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Hostage Arthur Batchelor poses with Wayne Rooney at a navy dinner
He said Dr Larijani had offered the prospect of an end to the crisis. "If they want to resolve this in a diplomatic way the door is open," said Mr Blair.
Fifteen Royal Marines and sailors were seized as they patrolled the Shatt al Arab waterway in the Gulf 12 days ago.
Some have been shown on TV making "confessions" that they strayed into Iranian waters. There have been fears of Tehran staging a show trial.
Today's new picture, an apparent breach of the understanding that no more such photographs would be published, shows six sailors sitting in blue and red tracksuits on a carpet in a room. What appears to be a little bowl of nuts stands in the middle of the group.
The caption to the picture says: "British sailors are chatting and eating fruit, drinking coffee and playing chess. It seems that the sailors are satisfied with their situation, in which they are enjoying good conditions instead of working in a hard situation in the Persian Gulf."
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Some of the kidnapped sailors. Click enlarge for bigger picture
But Dr Larijani has stressed that his priority is to resolve the dispute by diplomatic means and without putting the captives on trial.
There was further optimism when Iran's firebrand president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cancelled a press conference at which he was due to speak on the fate of the captives.
The decision to postpone the media briefing gives a breathing space for the diplomatic moves.
Britain's former ambassador to Iran, Sir Richard Dalton, said he was cautiously optimistic following Dr Larijani's comments. He said: "It looks as though both sides are looking for a way to solve the crisis and to do so in the not-too-distant future."
Arthur also met former Brookside actress Claire Sweeney at the event
The UK insists the captives were taken from Iraqi, not Iranian, waters. Dr Larijani has suggested that he wants Britain to admit to its "mistake".
Britain may hold talks about how to avoid future clashes in the disputed waters between Iran and Iraq in which the 14 men and Leading Seaman Faye Turney were captured as they searched for smugglers.
Reader views (15)
Why isn't the kidnapping, parading around, and threatening of soldiers by a foreign government considered an act of war? Send the SAS, RAF, and an armored tank battalion if you need to, but get your soldiers back!
- B. White, Dallas, TX
I agree with Mark ... Send in the SAS.
- Peter, London, UK
The sun has truly set on the British Empire. Now you have your own citizens siding with Iran by saying it was a mistake and that Britain should apologize. At one time Britain was a world power. What has happened to your country that you do not stand up for yourselves?
- C. Goodwin, Orlando, USA
just send the SAS in... they'll be out in 12.
- Mark, Hereford
There is a greater likelihood that Blair & Co. will apologise for/express regret for the slave trade of the 16th century before they can ever concede that their own judgment under their watch may be flawed.
- Rick, London, England
Is there a branch of Primark in Tehran? Judging by the jacket that the Iranian President seems to live in I would guess there is.
- Richard, Croydon UK
This situation is taking far to long to resolve. Is Blairs ego so big that he cannot appologise to the Iranians in order get our troops home, or is he talking to Rice on how to diffuse the situation, as Beckett continues to hum and ha!
- Raminder Bhalla, Northolt
According to Associated Press:
"A senior Iraqi foreign ministry official said on Tuesday that the government was "intensively" seeking release of five Iranians detained by the US military more than two months ago in northern Iraq.
The official also said that the Iraqi government had exerted pressure on those holding an Iranian diplomat, who was released Monday and returned to Teheran on Tuesday. The official would not say who had held the diplomat."
- Whats Really Going On, London
48 hours!
Haven't we heard that before?
- Bill, Wales
This is an act of war and should be treated as such. In the first instance, pressure can easily be put on Iran by severely limiting its petrol and other refined oil imports. And some proper support from Germany would be helpful, too.
- Charles Smyth, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Blair and Gordon are making fools of themselves again. They have no standing!
- Georgie, London
As far as Blair and clique are concerned the outcome which best accommodates their politics will be the one they choose - the 15 service personnel are merely pawns to them.
- Robert, Kirk Ella, East Yorks
Well said HDC. One should also note that there is no agreed border at all. In this context it's quite possble to admit that the Iranians were right their claim while insisting that we were right within ours. We should perhaps take the initiative in suggesting that after our people are freed (a completely necessary precondition), we would be willing to submit the determination of a mutually acceptable border to an appropriate and mutually agreed international tribunal. Obviously we'd have to get the USA to agree to this first, which might not be easy. It's also possible that Iran does not want any settlement, for internal political reasons or to keep the price of oil high.
- Nigel, London
Good call, HD Cohen. Here's hoping someone at HQ can pass the message on to Mrs Beckett, who's currently busy doing her headless chicken routine. Oh yes, and criticising the Falklands ....
- Marianne, SW France
Could the following announcement by the Foreign Office be used to diffuse the current situation?
As the demarcation Iraqi Iranian international marine border line is neither absolutely clear nor marked, it appears in the eyes of the Iranians that the British sailors have intentionally crossed the international demarcation line.
However just in case and they regrettably did so, it was done unintentionally and with no malice intention in mind.
- H. D Cohen, London
