TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Iran aired a video Wednesday of 15 captured British sailors and marines, showing the only woman captive saying her group had “trespassed” in Iranian waters. Britain angrily denounced the video as a “completely unacceptable” display of prisoners.

The Iranian foreign minister said the woman, sailor Faye Turney, could be released soon, but backed off reports she would be freed as early as Wednesday.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government announced it was freezing all dealings with Iran except to negotiate the release of its personnel, adding to a public exchange of sharp comments that pushed up tensions in a standoff helping fuel a spike in world oil prices.

Britain’s military released a GPS readout it said proved the Royal Navy personnel were seized 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters Friday. But Iranian state television quoted an unidentified Iranian official as saying the first phase of an investigation had determined the two British boat crews were “definitely” in Iran’s territorial waters.

A few hours later, a brief video of the captured Britons was shown on Iran’s Arabic language satellite television station, Al-Alam.

One segment showed sailors and marines sitting in an Iranian boat in open waters immediately after their capture.

The video also displayed what appeared to be a handwritten letter from Ms. Turney, 26, to her family.

“I have written a letter to the Iranian people to apologize for us entering their waters,” it said. The letter also asks Ms. Turney’s parents in Britain to look after her 3-year-old daughter, Molly, and her husband, Adam.

The video showed Ms. Turney in checkered head scarf and her uniform eating with other sailors and marines. Later, wearing a white tunic and black head scarf, she sat in a room before floral curtains and smoked a cigarette.

Ms. Turney was the only detainee to be shown speaking, giving her name and saying she had been in the navy for nine years.

“Obviously we trespassed into their waters,” Ms. Turney said at one point, her voice audible under a simultaneous Arabic translation. “They were very friendly and very hospitable, very thoughtful, nice people. They explained to us why we’ve been arrested. There was no harm, no aggression.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki backed off predictions that Ms. Turney could be freed Wednesday or Thursday, saying Iran will look into releasing her “as soon as possible.”

Asked when Iran would release Ms. Turney, Mr. Mottaki told the Associated Press, “We will look into this as soon as possible.”

He said earlier reports that he had said she could be freed Wednesday or Thursday were incorrect. “I was probably misquoted,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Mottaki told AP on the sidelines of an Arab summit in the Saudi capital, “Today or tomorrow, the lady will be released.” The Turkish television station, CNN-Turk, had also reported him saying Wednesday she would be freed “today or tomorrow.”