Held in Iran: Dismay and defiance as diplomatic crisis deepens over captured Britons

The confrontation between Iran and Britain became increasingly grave last night with the crisis moving to the United Nations and the appearance of a new letter from the hostage Faye Turney criticising the British presence in Iraq.

The letter said: "Isn't it time to start withdrawing our forces from Iraq and let them determine their own future?" The overtly political language supposedly used by the 26-year-old servicewoman led British officials immediately to declare that it was written under duress and dismiss it as crude propaganda.

But its release fuelled a highly charged and increasingly tense situation with Britain asking the UN to condemn Iran and an angry Tony Blair describing the way Tehran had used Ms Turney as "disgraceful" and calling for the unconditional release of the 15 sailors and marines.

The Iranians, however, struck a new note of belligerence, ruling out any freeing of the prisoners unless Britain apologised for "breaching Iranian sovereignty" and showing new television footage purporting to show that their arrest took place inside Iranian waters.

There was dismay at the Ministry of Defence in London about the latest letter from Leading Seaman Turney and also a sense of foreboding about what else the Iranians may produce, or whether others in the party may have been persuaded to make similar appearances. There is, however, no serious talk yet of military action to rescue the hostages, not only because of the immense logistical difficulties but the continuing uncertainty about where they are being held.

The handwritten note said to be from the Leading Seaman was addressed to British MPs. It said: "I am writing to inform you of my situation. I am a British Serviceperson currently being held in Iran. I would like you to know of the treatment I have received whilst here. The Iranian people are kind, considerate, warm, compassionate and very hospitable. They have brought me no harm, but have looked after me well. I have been fed, clothed and well cared for.

"Unfortunately during the course of our mission we entered into Iranian waters. Even through our wrongdoing, they have still treated us well and humanely, which I am and always will be eternally grateful. I ask the representatives of the House of Commons after the Government had promised that this type of incident would not happen again why have they let this occur and why has the Government not been questioned over this?

"Isn't it time to start withdrawing our forces from Iraq and let them determine their own future?"

Tony Blair said: "I just think it's completely wrong, a disgrace actually, when people are used in that way. That's contrary to all international laws and conventions, and is not going to make any difference to us.

"The important thing is we just keep making it very, very clear to the Iranian government it is not a situation that will be relieved by anything but the unconditional release of all our people," he said.

"What you can't do is end up negotiating over hostages, end up saying there's some quid pro quo or tit for tat; that's not acceptable.

"There's no alternative but to release them and the longer it goes on the more the pressure will be stepped up. We are going to have to step up pressure not just with them in the UN and the European Union, but see what further measures are necessary."

Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, added: "We have not seen this letter but we have grave concerns about the circumstances in which it was prepared and issued. This blatant attempt to use Leading Seaman Turney for propaganda purposes is outrageous and cruel."

John Nichol, a former RAF navigator who was shot down over Iraq in 1991 and held captive for the duration of war, told Sky News: "Faye was clearly coerced into making the TV broadcasts that we saw yesterday and today. She was clearly coerced into writing the letter. No serviceman or woman is going to volunteer to do that sort of thing. No serviceman or woman is going to pick up a pen and write to their dearly beloved MP. It's a nonsense."

However, Britain's hopes of an early and unanimous backing from the UN in the confrontation ran into problems after Russia, China, Indonesia and Qatar objected to wording stating that the Royal Navy team was illegally arrested outside Iranian waters. The delegations of these countries are also said to want to replace the word "deplore", about Iranian action, with an expression of "grave concern".

The United States, France, Belgium, Italy, Slovakia, Peru and Panama are among the 15 Security Council members expected to back the statement. However, unlike a resolution, all Security Council members have to approve a statement, which means any one of the 15 nations has, in effect, a veto right.

Iranian television showed further footage last night of the events leading to the capture of the 15 sailors and marines. In images which appeared to mimic those produced by the Ministry of Defence in London to prove the incident had taken place in Iraqi water, senior Iranian military officers used charts and captured British equipment to insist that the incident had taken place inside the country's national territory.

Ali Larijani, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, declared that an offer of an early release of Leading Seaman Turney has now been rescinded. "It was announced that a woman in the group would be freed but this development was met with an incorrect attitude", he said.

"They [the British] have created a ballyhoo over diplomatic ties and raised the issues with the UN. This will not solve the issue. The British leaders are miscalculating the case."

Mr Larijani, a highly influential figure, continued: "With the excuse of controlling ships that go to Iraq, they want to make it a norm to violate other countries' sovereignty. But they should know that the cost of this is not cheap."

Diplomats based in Tehran said the rising tensions appeared to have helped the Iranian Revolutionary Guards gain support from others in the country's political structure.

Diplomatic attempts to resolve the dispute continued last night with the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, holding talks with Iran's Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, at summit of Middle Eastern states in Riyadh.

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