We've been discussing this as if the boundary was clear cut and as if incidents such as this had never happened before. The Brits know full well that the Shatt al-arab is a very sensitive issue. Saddam tore up the 1975 agreement and went to war with Iran for control of the Shatt al-arab. Since then, there has been no agreement regarding this waterway and, in fact, Iranians have fiercely defended it. Its not as if Britain was unaware of this. Its happened before.

"Following eight years of inconclusive warfare, the issue of the border in the waterway remained unresolved, hence Iran's determination to punish any breach, real or imagined. As a result Iran retains a strong military and naval presence in the area and is prepared to use them. Ever since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and subsequent occupation of the southern area by coalition forces, British patrols have reported that they regularly come under attack from Iranian forces while using the waterway."

http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.1284398.0.0.php

"The arrests of the eight British sailors in 2004 was a "very symbolic act," Charles Tripp, a Middle East specialist at the University of London, told Associated Press at the time. "It is a very sensitive border for which three-quarters of a million Iranians died."

The eight British servicemen were blindfolded and paraded on Iran's state-run television, which was seen as a powerful message to pro-Western Arab states such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, proof that Iran could flex its muscles against a powerful western nations such as Britain.

Iran later denied London's allegation that it forced the eight servicemen into its territorial waters and then detained them in a premeditated show of force."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070323.wbritprev0323/BNStory/Front

In 2004 it only took 3 days of direct negotiation with Iran to secure the release of the sailors. Why was it that this time Britain seemed to be incapable of negotiating a release? Blair went to the U.N. and the E.U. and the U.S. seeking help. Why? Was he trying to find an excuse to go to war?

I'm very glad that the U.N. and the E.U. were not fooled into backing an invasion. Whats worse is that Blair and Bush were probably in this together. I hope Iran can prevent a war and hold the warmongers at arms length until they have the ability to defend their country.

...and some of you can see no reason why Iran would feel threatened? Give your head a shake.