Blair Warns Iran over Captured Soldiers
'Pakistan Times' UK Bureau

LONDON (UK): British prime minister, commenting from Berlin where celebrations are underway to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Berlin, said Iranian diplomats had been made aware of the "fundamental" view taken on the matter by the UK government.

The navy personnel, who were seized at gunpoint aboard HMS Cornwall, were patrolling on the Shatt Al-Arab waterway between Iran and Iraq when they were captured.

Tehran has insisted that HMS Cornwall strayed into Iranian territorial waters, but these claims have been rejected by Britain.

Blair reiterated that denial today, saying it was "simply not true that they went into Iranian territorial waters".

"This is a very serious situation," Blair said.

"I hope that it can be resolved over the next few days but the quicker it is resolved the easier it will be for all of us," he added.

"They should not be under any doubt at all about how seriously we regard this act which was unjustified and wrong."

Germany, which currently holds the European Union presidency, has placed additional pressure on Iran by urging its government to release the captives, one of whom is believed to be female.

A statement made in the name of the presidency read: "The presidency of the council of the European Union calls upon the Iranian government to immediately release the 15 British seamen detained.

"It is consulting closely in this matter with the government of the UK. The German ambassador in Tehran has made a demarche vis-a-vis the Iranian government in the same vein."

Reports coming out of Iran have claimed that the captured personnel admitted to straying into the Middle Eastern country's waters. General Aliaz Reza Afshar told Iranian media that the servicemen were being interrogated but not mistreated.

Tensions over the Shatt Al-Arab waterway come amid escalating tensions over Iran's refusal to end its uranium enrichment programme, which yesterday saw the UN security council unanimously approve the imposition of fresh sanctions.●