Iran said it was waiting for Britain to change its behaviour over the detention of 15 British sailors and marines, state television reported yesterday. Iran captured the 15 Britons on March 23, accusing them of illegally entering the Islamic Republic?s territorial waters. Britain says the sailors were seized in Iraqi waters.

The row, coming at a time of heightened Middle East tensions over Tehran?s disputed nuclear programme, pushed oil prices last week to six month highs. ?Iran is waiting for a change of behaviour by Britain and a balanced stance by this country over our legal demands,? state television quoted Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as saying. He did not give the demands but Iranian officials have said Britain should acknowledge its troops illegally entered Iran. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a speech on Saturday that Britain should have apologised.

Mottaki said Iran was studying a written message sent by British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett that replied to an earlier Iranian diplomatic note on the detentions. ?There are many points in this note that we will look into,? the Iranian foreign minister said. US President Bush said on Saturday that Iran?s detention of British personnel was inexcusable and called on Tehran to release them immediately. ?The Iranians must give back the hostages. They?re innocent,? Bush told a news conference.