Stewart Stogel
Friday, March 30, 2007

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UK Ambassador to the United Nations Sir Emyr Jones Parry announced that the Security Council has agreed on statement calling on Iran to immediately release the captive 15 UK sailors.

Jones Parry says the Council has expressed its grave concern over the standoff, but does not address whether the British sailors were or were not in Iranian waters or whether their continued detainment is illegal.

It does urge Tehran to allow immediate "consular access" to the British military personnel.

Diplomats say the British may also want a public statement criticizing Iran's actions.

That could be the first step to more punitive action if the crisis persists.

Just last week, the Council imposed new sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to halt its controversial uranium enrichment program.

On the eve of that Council meeting, Iran seized 15 UK sailors that it claimed had violated its territorial waters.

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London, vehemently denies the Iranian claim, and Prime Minister Tony Blair has hinted that British patience with the Islamic Republic is beginning to run short.

Despite a pledge to release a female British sailor, on Thursday Iran "suspended" the action because, according to Iran's national security adviser, Ali Larijani, London "has refused to apologize for trespassing in our (Iran's) territorial waters."

Speaking to Fox News, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton criticized London's approach.

Bolton told Fox, "Negotiations have gone nowhere, a press statement (by the Security Council) will be ignored (by Tehran). We have moved beyond the stage of a press statement."

Exacerbating tensions, Jones Parry was "undiplomatically" brushed aside (literally) by Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki during his visit to the U.N. last Saturday.

Mottaki was in NYC to complain about and reject the Council's new sanctions on Tehran.

Mottaki did a tell a NYC news conference that the stalemate with London "could be resolved diplomatically."

Visiting Saudi Arabia, Mottaki now says he is "not sure" how or when the crisis will be resolved.

U.S. diplomats at the U.N. explain that Washington has directed them to play a "supporting" role to any action the UK mission may decide on.

The U.S.'s U.N. mission has had no comment on the latest turn of events.

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