Lessons learned: Iran's release of British prisoners

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 'pardoned' the 15 sailors and marines Wednesday as an Easter 'gift.'

from the April 5, 2007 edition

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British Prime Minister Tony Blair for his part said Mr. Larijani's comments "seem to offer some prospect," and said the door was open to a diplomatic resolution.

Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said Tuesday evening that there was a "huge amount" going on behind the scenes.

"There are still some differences between us, but we share [Larijani's] preference for early bilateral discussions to find a diplomatic solution to this problem," one British official told the Monitor, on customary condition of anonymity.

Indeed, said experts, such an approach would more likely to lead to a solution.

"What is to be gained from following the Israeli example of last summer [when it invaded Lebanon after its soldier was captured]?" asks Rosemary Hollis, a Middle East expert also at Chatham House, "You can't use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. They still haven't got their service personnel back, and they smashed up half of Lebanon."

The key in such situations is to find "a formula which both sides can benefit from, says Dr. Hollis.

That was the approach in 2004, when six British sailors and marines were seized in a similar part of the Persian Gulf, Britain took a face-saving approach, quietly admitting that its personnel may have strayed across the border by mistake.

This time around, however, there was intense discussion in London about how hard-line Britain's approach should be, says Dr. Ansari. But in the end, those advocating for diplomacy – in both Iran and Britain – triumphed, he says. "I think the battle was won on both sides [Iranian and British] by those saying 'We have to take this with firm resolve, but with a diplomatic approach.'

Hollis at Chatham House, adds: "The ingredients for a diplomatic solution have always been present, but it took a senior figure in Tehran to clarify that that was also what they were looking for, and how to proceed."

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