today

A website run by associates of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, reported last night that the Britons would be put before a court and indicted. Referring to them as “insurgents”, the site concluded: “If it is proven that they deliberately entered Iranian territory, they will be charged with espionage. If that is proven, they can expect a very serious penalty since according to Iranian law, espionage is one of the most serious offences.”

The penalty for espionage in Iran is death.

Iranian military sources are alleged to say that the aim was to trade the Royal Marine sailors (captured by Iran for supposed border crossing) for five Revolutionary Guards captured in Iraq by the US earlier this year. But the US probably take the view that captives aren't worth releasing just because the Brits might like it. One could assume this in view of the US clear refusal to accept full guilt over an earlier "friendly fire" incident where untrained US soldiers took out serious UK personnel.

Lord Triesman, a Foreign Office undersecretary who had held talks with Iran's ambassador on Saturday, told Sky News the issue of whether the sailors had strayed into Iranian waters was a technical one. Triesman. "It's a technical issue and I think it could be resolved as a technical issue."

Obviously this is basically unrelated to the more serious nuclear issue but a possible Iranian strategy for capturing these troops can be seen. They may be trying to get US and UK to break ranks. OTOH it could provide a sensible opportunity for face to face negotiations.

Also, Russia is rather reluctantly coming to somewhere near the US view but is going to want compensation (which it may not get). Vive le EU, (wrt France) one may say.

IMO: The best thing to do might be for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be somehow replaced by a female imam (who in a proper democracy would get more votes) and then, as usual, the woman could carry the can. I'm joking, (I think).