British naval personnel who were detained in Iran wave to journalists after they were released as a 'gift to the British people' by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran yesterday. - Xinhua/Reuters

British Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed on Wednesday the release by Iran of 15 British sailors and marines taken captive 13 days ago.

"We are glad that our 15 navy personnel have been released," he said in the front of No. 10 Downing Street. The release was a "profound relief" for their families.

Britain bore the Iranian people "no ill will" over the crisis, he added.

Earlier, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that the Iranian government decided to release immediately the 15 British navy personnel. It was a "gift" to Britain, he said.

The British sailors have been shown on Iranian television speaking to President Ahmadinejad at his palace in the capital of Teheran.

The British government had made no deal with Iran to secure the personnel, and the British government was in dialogue, not negotiations, with Iranians, according to Sky News reports.

Qatar and Syria had played useful roles in the release of British navy personnel, the Sky reports said.

On March 23, 15 British naval personnel were seized by Iranian forces when they were patrolling off the Iraqi borders.

Iran has insisted that the British boats illegally entered its territorial waters, while Britain said its soldiers were in Iraqi territorial waters.