Britain and Iran seek ways to end row over sailors

Tehran: Iran and Britain signalled possible ways out of the standoff over 15 detained British soldiers yesterday. Tehran promised to stop airing video confessions and Britain said it was willing to discuss ways to avoid future boundary confusion in the Arabian Gulf.

The conciliatory tones from both capitals raised hopes the 11-day standoff might be solved soon. But it remained unclear how long the crisis might drag on.

Earlier, an Iranian state-run television station said all 15 British sailors and Marines had confessed to illegally entering Iranian waters. However, Iranian state-run radio said the confessions would not be broadcast because of what it called "positive changes" in Britain's negotiating stance.

In London, a British official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the British government had agreed to consider ways to avoid such situations in the future.

The United States is asking Iran to provide information about a US citizen believed to have gone missing several weeks ago in Iran while on private business on Kish Island, the State Department said.

Spokesman Sean McCormack said the family and employer of the man and the State Department was sending an inquiry to Iran via Swiss diplomats, since the two countries do not have diplomatic ties.