The (London) Times US editor Gerard Baker hits the nail on the head with his description of the current Iranian hostage crisis as 'humiliating' (via Clive Davis). It's a word I toyed with yesterday, but was too cowardly to use.

With the 25th anniversary of the war between the UK and Argentina over the Falkland Islands approaching this weekend, Baker says there are voices calling for a more robust (military?) response from Britain. Tony Blair's critics are bemoaning the fact that Margaret Thatcher would have sorted the Iranians out quick sharp (by sending a naval task force to the Persian Gulf?).

But Baker calls the similarities between Thatcher and Blair's dilemmas "simply hooey." The right course of action, says Baker, is not necessarily clear cut or awe-inspiring:

Where does all this leave Mr Blair and his government as it seeks to recover Britain's sailors and restore its pride? This time, thank goodness, the US is firmly on our side. [During the Falkland's crisis the US initially favored shared government of the island--ed.] But it is not clear what difference that will make. The military options open to the British government look rather limited. It lacks the intelligence and the military capacity to mount a rescue mission from its meager task force in the Gulf. Though the US has much more firepower and presumably better intelligence, I'm guessing the US navy does not plan to start a war with Iran in an effort to rescue 15 British sailors.

The right approach, as frustratingly dilatory as it seems, is the one the UK is currently taking. The Iranian attack is an outrage, but it presents an important opportunity to demonstrate to the world (which shouldn't need reminding, but does) just how vile a regime Teheran is. Let no-one be in any doubt as to who is the aggressor is. Produce the evidence that this was no hostile action by the British but simply an operation rooted in international law. Steadily ratchet up the diplomatic pressure on Iran, isolating the country in international opinion. All of that will lay a much better groundwork in global public opinion as the US and its allies prepare for the long difficult struggle to stop Iran from achieving regional hegemony under the shelter of its own nuclear umbrella.

It is frustrating work, but all of the alternatives are worse. What is certain is that bewailing British weakness through false analogies to a very different crisis a quarter of a century ago won't bring anyone home anytime soon.