LONDON, April 4, 2007 (AFP) - Britain welcomed Wednesday the unexpected announcement that its 15 sailors and marines held by Iran would be released, a spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair told.
"We welcome what the president (of Iran) has said about the release of our 15 personnel. We are now trying to establish exactly what this means in terms of the method and timing of their release," he said.
White House declines comment on Iran's release of Britons
The White House on Wednesday said it was "monitoring the situation closely" but had no immediate comment on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's announcement that the 15 British sailors captured by Iran would be freed.