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Iran seized the British sailors in Iraqi waters, so an attempt to justify ownership of Iraqi territory does not make sense.

Even the UN isn't stupid enough to believe the absurd 'confessions', but since the UN is an impotent agency to begin with, I don't see that as even being a factor.

The Iranians are holding the British sailors as a bargaining chip, and what precisely they want in return for their release is not yet entirely clear, but I would posit that they are simply making this play to help convince the British public to call for the troops to be removed from the area, or maybe they want some of their agents back that they recently had captured in Iraq. Perhaps they simply wanted to poke a stick in our eye and will simply release them when they are tired of that game, or maybe they see an imminent attack upon their nuclear facilities and are attempting to use these sailors to try and thwart those plans. We will have to wait and see.

Of course the MSM will not do anything useful over this incident, but beyond that, the British should never have let their sailors be captured in such a fashion, IMO. According to reports, they could have actually fought for their men at the time this was going down, and although the sailors would have been extremely vulnerable in that situation, the alternative has now left the U.K. looking like a weakling who will not properly defend her troops nor fight when push comes to shove. This isn't the G.B. I knew decades ago, one which wouldn't hesitate to make an example of little punks who got too big for their britches.

"Iran seized the British sailors in Iraqi waters, so an attempt to justify ownership of Iraqi territory does not make sense."

When Iraq invaded Iran, part of it had to deal with ownership of the waterwaty. The Iranians are accusing the British of being on their sovereign territory illegally. Right now that is the issue.

Were they? If they were in Iranian territory, then technically the British sailors can be considered spies and any negotiation on Irns part is from strength.

If it is Iraqi territory and Britain backs down then it only emboldens Iran to do more. So the British better do something to make Iran back away.

"and although the sailors would have been extremely vulnerable in that situation, the alternative has now left the U.K. looking like a weakling who will not properly defend her troops nor fight when push comes to shove."

Think of this from the perspective of other British troops.

Think of the other British troops and sailors "on the line."
What do you think it does to their morale, to know the commanders of their fellow troops will order them to stand down and watch if they themselves are captured?

"The Iranians are holding the British sailors as a bargaining chip, and what precisely they want in return for their release is not yet entirely clear..."

Another editorial posted here noted the internal strife the Iranian government is dealing with. Evidently the locals are growing increasingly restless and unhappy and are showing it. One way to tighten things up at home is to face a foreign enemy, in this case the Anglo-American coalition.