Sailors unlikely to face trial

A senior Iranian leader has said the country does not want to put the 15 captured British sailors on trial.

More of the captives have been shown on television but Iran has promised it will be for the last time.

Iran had previously aired "confessions" from four of the British sailors and Marines, footage condemned by Britain which says they were in Iraqi waters when they were seized.

The latest images showed other members of the group talking to camera but their voices could not be heard.

In a commentary accompanying the images, the television report said: "It seems that Britain has shifted a little bit from its stance in the last one or two days over the undeniable facts and from some of its clamour.

"If this path continues, one can hope that the issue would be resolved in a bilateral process and far away from fuss and clamour and with achieving Iran's logical demands."

The report did not give details of Britain's shift in policy. London said on Sunday it was in direct communication with Iran.

Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said on Saturday "everyone regrets that this position has arisen".

A British official said work was going on "behind the scenes" to end the stand-off, but did not give details.

Britain's ambassador to Tehran, Geoffrey Adams, has met Iranian Foreign Ministry officials most days since the crisis started.

Iran's ISNA news agency earlier said Iran had more film of the Britons but "details of the interviews" would not be shown because of Britain's policy shift, which could explain why the new footage was aired in brief snippets without sound.

The footage included showing two men in blue uniforms speaking to camera.

It showed another image of three sitting in a line talking, in khaki uniforms and in front of a map. Another image showed a man in uniform apparently laughing.

Britain has dismissed earlier televised "confessions".

"The Iranians know our position. They know stage-managed TV appearances are not going to affect that position," the spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair said, adding that London was awaiting Tehran's response after an exchange of diplomatic notes.

"There's a lot going on behind the scenes," he said without further explanation.

Two of the Britons were shown on Iranian state television on Sunday night pointing to a map to show where they were seized and saying they were picked up in Iranian territory.

The men, named as Royal Marine Captain Chris Air and Lieutenant Felix Carman, looked in good condition, wearing clean smart military fatigues.

Footage of two other members of the group has already been shown on Iranian TV.

Leading Seaman Faye Turney has featured in several videos and letters, purportedly written by her have been released and Royal Marine Nathan Thomas Summers was shown "apologising" for entering Iranian waters "without permission."

The other hostages to be named so far are Royal Marine Corporal Dean Harris, 24, from Carmarthen, west Wales, Paul Barton, of Southport, Merseyside, Royal Marine Adam Sperry, 22, of Leicester, Danny Masterton, 26, of Muirkirk, Ayrshire and Joe Tindell, 21, of south London.

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