The Times: The commander of Basras police force said yesterday that the huge bomb that killed the four British soldiers on Thursday was similar to Iranian-made devices used to deadly effect in other parts of Iraq.
Police chief says device may have been made in Iran
Britons say they feared for lives in Iran captivity
New York Times: Their greatest scare, they recalled, came on the second day, when they were flown to Tehran, blindfolded and backed up against a prison wall while their Iranian captors fiddled with weapons, cocking rifles and making them fear for their lives.
Iran calls for UK goodwill gesture
Press Association: The Iranian ambassador to London Rasoul Movahedian has called for a goodwill gesture from Britain following the release of 15 Navy captives.
British press says Iran behind Iraq attack as detainees return
AFP: The return of 15 British naval personnel from Iran was overshadowed in the press here Friday by the deaths of four troops in Iraq, including two women, which they said may have had Iranian involvement.
Teheran thinks it has moved one step closer to a nuclear arsenal
Daily Telegraph: Suddenly, Iran is everybody’s friend. The safe return to Britain of 15 sailors and Marines in time to celebrate Easter with their families and friends has shown the ayatollahs in a new light. Gone is the image of a regime that represses its people and seeks the annihilation of its foes. Forgotten are the chants of the Friday prayer worshippers calling for the destruction of America, the “Great Satan”, and “Little Satan”, as Britain is disparagingly referred to in the parlance of Iran’s radical mosques.
Russia dismisses ‘gas OPEC’ plans
AFP: Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko on Friday dismissed the idea that gas exporting countries would announce the creation of “gas OPEC” cartel at a meeting in Qatar next week.
Britain suspends boarding ops in Gulf after Iran dispute
AFP: Britain has suspended boarding operations in the Gulf and is reviewing its rules of engagement after a dispute with Iran over the capture of 15 British naval personnel, a top officer said Friday.
France sees progress in row over academic held in Iran
AFP: Iran is showing encouraging signs that the case of a French academic prevented from leaving Tehran after his passport was confiscated could be resolved soon, the French foreign ministry said Friday.
Iran used British woman as ‘propaganda tool’
AFP: Iran used the only woman among 15 captured British naval personnel as a “propaganda tool”, keeping her isolated and telling her she was the only one being held, the group said Friday.
British sailors tell of intense ‘pressure’ in Iranian detention
AFP: The 15 British sailors freed by Iran told Friday how they were subjected to intense “psychological pressure” and threatened with prison during their two weeks in captivity.
