Iran's Majlis speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel said on Wednesday that Britain has changed its tone and adopted logical talks toward Iran regarding the case of 15 British marines arrested by Iran for their violation of Iranian territorial waters last week.
Haddad-Adel was speaking to reporters before his departure for Islamabad, Pakistan, for an official three-day visit.
"Britain and the European Union should understand Iran's message, urging respect for rights of other countries. As they expect their rights to be respected, Tehran also expects its rights to be respected by others," he added.
His words came after Britain called for direct talks with Iran to resolve the dispute and said it was awaiting an Iranian response on when those could begin.
In a statement late Tuesday, Prime Minister Tony Blair's office said there had been "further contacts" between the two countries, including with chief international negotiator Ali Larijani. "The UK has proposed direct bilateral discussions and awaits an Iranian response on when these can begin," Blair's office said. "Both sides share a desire for an early resolution to this issue through direct talks."
The British announcement followed the release of an Iranian diplomat in Iraq that raised new hope for resolving the standoff.
