Interesting.
It would seem that Iran is beginning to realize just what the international political remifications of keeping 15 British servicemen in captivity over a 'border dispute', could actually amount to.
Diplomacy, according to Dr. Ali Larijani, who is the head of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, is the way to resolve this issue, and that a solution 'could be at hand over this issue of a nebulous border issue'..
This would seem to indicate two things.
One, that the Iranian government does not want further sanctions put upon then, with the full backing of the US, Britain, The EU, the UN Security Council, and that they may well be in the wrong by having taken these prisoners in the first place..
And two, that while Ahmadenejad may well continue with his hard line stance, and may well continue to inflame Iranian youth agsinst the West, the facts of the matter are that financially, Iran can afford to bluster, but cannot afford to deal with universal condemnation.
Iran has promised there will not be a repeat of the appearances of the captives on State television.. that the treatment of the captives will be first class.. and that through diplomatic means, their release could be 'immanent'..
Dr. Larijani, it might be mentioned, is the man who heads the negotiations concerning the UN inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities, which will determine whether of not Iran is working towards developing nuclear power, or nuclear weapons. The last thing he wants, is an intensification of the attention paid to the weaponry issue, for if indeed Iran is working on enriching uranium with a bomb in mind, the very last issue he wants to put his country under deeper scrutiny, is the pointless maintenance of this kidnapping..
It's simply, not worth it.