Britain Asks U.N. for Help in Releasing Sailors from Iran

MARGARET WARNER:

Tensions escalated today over the Iranian seizure of 15 British sailors and marines today with the televised release of the Iranians' video of last Friday's operation.

Also today, the Iranian foreign minister pulled back his government's earlier promise to release the sole female British crew member.

Meanwhile this evening, the U.N. Security Council adopted a British-backed statement calling for the release of the crew members.

The crisis erupted last Friday, when the Iranians seized two small boats carrying crewmembers of the HMS Cornwall. They'd been inspecting an Indian merchant ship in the Persian Gulf right outside the Shatt al-Arab waterway between Iraq and Iran.

Tehran insists the crew was in Iranian waters; the British say they were in Iraqi waters.

British ministry of defense officials yesterday released the coordinates of where they said the British crew was: 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters.

The British also alleged that the Iranians on Saturday gave them coordinates that actually put the crew inside Iraqi waters. Then, when the British pointed that out, they say, the Iranians presented new coordinates on Monday that put the craft inside Iranian territory.

There are also dueling claims of GPS evidence. The British released this photo of a GPS device they say was in a Royal Navy helicopter hovering over the Indian merchant ship around the time of the incident. The Iranian video today includes this frame of a GPS device that the Iranians say belonged to the British crew and proves the Iranians' point.

Yesterday, Iranian television broadcast this video of the captives, including an interview with the female sailor, supporting the Iranians' version of events.

FAYE TURNEY, Captured British Sailor:

Obviously, we trespassed into their waters.

MARGARET WARNER:

In the House of Commons yesterday, Prime Minister Tony Blair denounced the airing of the video and said Britain is freezing relations with Iran until this is resolved.

TONY BLAIR, Prime Minister of Britain: It is now time to ratchet up the diplomatic and international pressure in order to make sure that the Iranian government understands their total isolation on this issue.

MARGARET WARNER:

Today, Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani denounced the British approach.

ALI LARIJANI, IRANIAN NEGOTIATOR (through translator):

The British leaders must be aware that, when they violate the national integrity of a country, it should be dealt with in accordance with international regulations. They cannot trespass and then try to get that country to ignore the aggression by propaganda and misusing of the international organizations.

MARGARET WARNER:

But in an interview today with ITN, Blair maintained a very tough line.

TONY BLAIR:

We just keep making it very clear to the Iranian government that this is not a situation that can be resolved by anything other than the unconditional release of all our people.

MARGARET WARNER:

Meanwhile, two U.S. aircraft carrier groups are conducting exercises in the Persian Gulf. In Washington, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said the ships "are not there to provoke any kind of conflict with Iran."