All 15 British navy personnel held by Iran have admitted entering Iranian waters illegally, a Tehran news agency said today, but Iran indicated a softer line by saying it would not air their "confessions".
Iran's ISNA agency said the decision not to show the film, after similar broadcasts enraged London during the 10-day-old dispute, was based on what the report said was a shift in the "clamorous policies" of the British government.
Britain has dismissed earlier television "confessions" and said they were unacceptable, adding the 15 were in Iraqi waters.
The dispute has raised tensions between the West and the Islamic Republic, already high over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme. It pushed oil prices last week to six-month highs.
The 15 sailors and marines were seized on March 23 in what Iran said was its territorial waters. It has aired footage of four captives -- three men and one woman -- saying they were seized in Iranian waters despite London's denials.
ISNA said Iran had footage of all the British captives "explaining details about their arrest in Iranian waters".
"But because of some changes seen in the last two days in the clamorous British government policies it (the Iranian broadcaster) will not show the details of the interviews."
ISNA did not detail the shift in policy it was referring to but Britain said yesterday it was in direct communication with Iran. British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said "everyone regrets that this position has arisen".
Iranian Foreign Ministry officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Britain should have apologised. Iranian officials have also criticised Britain for taking the issue to the United Nations, where the Security Council expressed "grave concern" about the case.
A British Foreign Office spokesman, reacting to the latest ISNA report, said: "I don't think the position has changed as far as we are concerned -- they were seized within Iraqi territorial waters, and we are still working to get consular access and for the Iranians to release the group."