In stark contrast to the Easter spirit of forgiveness invoked by President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad in Iran’s theatrical release of 15 British navy personnel, Tony Blair was in a far less conciliatory mood as the freed captives returned to London on Thursday.

While a pair of Sea King helicopters throbbed on the tarmac at Heathrow awaiting the diplomatically charged cargo of a British Airways flight from Tehran, the UK prime minister called on the international community “to remain steadfast in enforcing its will [on Iran], whether it’s on nuclear weapons or the support of any part of the Iranian regime for terrorism”.