'A move to a different phase...'
The words of Tony, concerning the kidnapping of Royal Navy personnel last Friday by members of Irans elite Revolutionary Army Corps..
What this means is, that if Iran doesn't return those taken, for allegedly crossing into Iranian waters while examining a suspect freighter, proof will be proffered to the international community that indeed, the seizure of the servicemen, and one WREN, was illegal.. that it was in Iraqi waters..
GPS evidence, sattelite photographs, the evidence from the HMS Cornwall itself, will be made public..
Now whether or not one can deal diplomatically with Iran and it's leaders, is moot. Whether they care what the world thinks, is something yet to be determined. But it will put Iran in such a position, that there is the possibility no country will stand behind them in future disagreements.. that their credibility as a nation will be suspect in any claim made against another.
And something Iran would like to maintain, is it's support from other Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia.
This will be strained, at the very least, if it is made public that the seizure of the Navy personnel was a planned incursion into Iraqi waters, with the express purpose of causing embarrassment for the West.
Something for Tehran to ponder. Is it... was it... worth it?

Some disturbing figures released today on the state of the British economy.
Some 10.4 Britons live below the poverty line, according to the governments own figures.. and when one takes into consideration that the population of this island is only 56 million in total.. these figures are enormous, not only for those affected, but for the government itself.
And further disturbing figures indicate that the number of children living in relative poverty, has risen by 100 thousand over this past year.
Mind you, this follows three years of decreasing figures for the same predicament, but it does seem to show that the loss of jobs to EU migrants, and EU expansion countries and China, is having an impact on our economy.
Only to be expected though..