Manouchehr Mottaki's statement in an interview with The Associated Press came on a day of escalating tensions, highlighted by an Iranian video of the detained Britons that showed the only woman captive saying her group had "trespassed" in Iranian waters. Britain angrily denounced the video as unacceptable and froze most dealings with Iran.

Britain's military released a GPS readout it said proved the Royal Navy personnel were seized 1.7 nautical miles -- about three kilometres -- inside Iraqi waters Friday. But [Mottaki] said Iran had GPS devices from the British boats that showed they were in Iranian territory.

"I have written a letter to the Iranian people to apologize for us entering their waters," it said. The letter also asks [Faye Turney]'s parents in Britain to look after her three-year-old daughter, Molly, and her husband, Adam.