President Iran

What made the president of Iran release the British soldiers?

I read that Iran's president freed them to commemorate the Prophet Muhammad's B-Day and Easter. Is this why or does anyone have more info?

Public Comments

1. WORLD PRESSURE
2. Diplomacy. Something the Bush administration is not capable of.
3. World pressure, because he knows he made a mistake and world opinion is against him for it.
4. yes ...and for the occasion of the passing of CHRIST, I say the Islamic Republic government and the Iranian people — with all powers and legal right to put the soldiers on trial — forgave those 15," he said
5. I believe that it was all a set up. Everyone knows that the sailors were not in Iranian territory. Now, all of a sudden the president lets them go. I believe he's doing this so he can show the world how tolerant and peaceful he his. But he's not. I would not trust him for a moment.
6. he did it from fear of the Western Worlds retaliation.
7. The Iranian gov. has milked all the world publicity that they could and nothing further could be gained be keeping the hostages imprisoned. Their captivity diverted the world's and the U.N.'s attention away from sanctions for their nuclear aspirations.
8. If you want the real reasons they are many. The Brits weren't really in Iranian waters when they were taken. The Iranians knew they weren't.. Iran had milked the situation for all it was worth. Actually I think the Iranians weere considering the possibility of losing something of value if they didn't give the soldiers back. There was no way they could actually be tried to spying. Birthdays and Easter had nothing to do with it. But when you are Iranian and you want to do something --any reason will work.
9. Iran's President is an egotistical lunatic who enjoyed making the world squirm again. Can't you read through the propaganda and see it's just a game to him? He's openly defying the world and loving it. God Bless.
10. Best Answer They were released only because a prominent Iranian was released from prison in Iraq yesterday. It's typical during wartime, where there's a mutual prisoner exchange. You won't hear that on Fox News, though.
11. They don't want further scrutiny of their nuclear proliferation plants.
12. We will probably never know the truth. Blair & Bush may have threatened him.
13. I'll tell you.I'm Iranian.No, I don't think it's because of prophet Mohammad! lol this is so cheesy! That's because they were going to be freed.You didn't expect Iran to hold British sailors for ever.Did you?Iran is a peaceful country and I think that'd be better if Iran turned a blind eye on the sailors entering Iranian waters.I'm sure if any foreigners are captured in another countries territorial waters, they'd get life-imprisonment! IRran's an example to many countries.
14. I think it was a gift. I think they proved their point. There was nothing the U.K. or U.S. could do. And, these soldiers were at the will of Iran. More than anything, I think they made a point to say two things: 1) you failed in the middle east, 2) you have made us (Iran) more powerful.