British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday that the next two days are fairly critical to resolving the dispute over the seized British navy crew, after Iran's chief international negotiator offered a new approach to end the standoff with Tehran.

"The next 48 hours will be fairly critical," Blair told Scotland's Real Radio. He said Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani's suggestion of talks offered hope of an end to the crisis. "If they want to resolve this in a diplomatic way the door is open," the prime minister said.

Earlier, Larijani said Iran sought to solve the problem through proper diplomatic channels and proposed having a delegation determine whether British forces had strayed into Iranian territory in the Persian Gulf. He did not say what sort of delegation he had in mind.

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"We definitely believe that this issue can be resolved and there is no need for any trial," Larijani told Britain's Channel 4 television news Monday through an interpreter.

Britain's Foreign Office said it would seek to follow up on the remarks Tuesday, but could not immediately confirm when discussions would likely take place.

"Talks have been going on throughout this situation, they will continue to carry on," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity in line with government rules. "We are determined to find a diplomatic solution.:

The British government said Monday that it and Iran shared the goal of early bilateral discussions to end the crisis over a captured British naval crew.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "There remain some differences between us, but we can confirm we share his preference for early bilateral discussions to find a diplomatic solution to this problem."

"We will be following this up with the Iranian authorities tomorrow, given our shared desire to make early progress, she said.

Earlier Monday, Iran said it wanted to resolve the row through diplomacy and that there was no need for a trial for the sailors, captured March 23.

"There should be a delegation to review the case ... to clarify whether they have been in our territorial waters or not. Through sensationalism you cannot solve the problem," Larijani said in a interview from Tehran.

"There is a difference of view between the UK government and the Iranian government. This issue should be resolved bilaterally," Larijani said. "A guarantee must be given that such violations would not be repeated."

Britain agreed on Monday to discuss prevention of disputes with Iran in the contested Persian Gulf waters where the staff were captured.

The agreement prompted Iranian state radio to cite 'positive changes in the British position,' and not to air the apparently staged confessions of four of the captives, according to a U.K. official speaking on condition of anonymity.

British ministers were scheduled to meet later on Monday in Whitehall's secret Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBRA), where issues threatening national security are deliberated.

Iranian state television showed new footage on Monday of some of 15 detained British sailors and marines after media reported the whole group had admitted to entering Iranian waters illegally.

Iranian television previously broadcast comments from four of the 15 and the new images showed other members of the group, some seen talking to camera. Their voices could not be heard.

Iran's ISNA new agency had said new footage would not be shown because of what it said was a shift in the "clamorous policies" of the British government. Similar broadcasts earlier in the 10-day-old dispute have angered London.

In a commentary accompanying the new images, the television report said, "It seems that Britain has shifted a little bit from its stance in the last one or two days over the undeniable facts and from some its clamour."

"If this path continues, one can hope that the issue would be resolved in a bilateral process and far away from fuss and clamour and with achieving Iran's logical demands."

Britain dismissed the television "confessions" and said they were unacceptable, adding the 15 were in Iraqi waters.

The government also deplored the airing on state-run TV of the confessions so far, saying they appeared to be coerced.

The new footage included showing two men in blue uniforms speaking to the camera. It showed another image of three sitting in a line talking, wearing khaki uniforms, in front of a map. Another image showed a man in uniform apparently laughing.