British servicemen held in Iran

The detention of British sailors raises questions about the (Iranian) regime's intentions. Why risk an incident that could develop into a diplomatic crisis? One explanation that has been launched is that the ships were a delivery to the Iraqi police which has been trained by British forces. Relations between Iran and Iraq are still tense and Britain's support for the Iraqis may have been seen as a provocation. At the same time, it seems strange if the military acted on their own. The political adjusting in this drama seems definitely to dominate. The uncertainty regarding the motive and the potential for a more risky development is worrying. We will wait and see, London says. But behind the stoic behavior and the subdued choice of words is an understanding that Iran's action may be a new expression for the ongoing power struggle between moderate and radical forces (in Iran). The detained sailors are obviously pawns in the game." -- Dagens Nyheter, Stockholm, Sweden