News / World
Tension Mounting as British Prime Minister Tony Blair Issues Warning to Iran
British Prime Minister Tony Blair issued a stern warning to Iran that if the 15 sailors and marines captured by Iran on Friday were not released then the situation could escalate to a “different phase.”
Iran insists that the 15 British military personnel were in Iranian waters when they were detained, a claim that has been adamantly denied by Blair. The British government has said that they have proof that the sailors had been operating in Iraqi waters when they were captured, and they are prepared to publish the global satellite positioning records to document the fact.
Iran has refused British requests to see the 14 men and one woman captured on Friday but has assured Britain that they are being treated well and are healthy.
The detention of the sailors took on an added level of concern on Saturday when the U.N. imposed new sanctions against Iran for their continued development of its nuclear program. Iran has insisted that it would not halt its uranium enrichment program, claiming that they are not manufacturing weapons through the process.
On Tuesday Russia and the United Arab Emirates urged the Iranian government to comply with the U.N. resolutions. Iran has called the resolution illegal and vowed to continue their nuclear program.
