U.S. President George W. Bush "welcomes" the announcement by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to release 15 British sailors and Marines taken into custody last month, the White House said Wednesday.

"As Prime Minister (Tony) Blair just said, President Bush also welcomes the news," Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said.

Johndroe made the remarks hours after Ahmadinejad announced that his government would release the 15 detained British sailors and marines Wednesday as an Easter season gift to the British people.

Bush slammed Iran's detention of 15 British sailors as "inexcusable behavior." He said he supported Britain's efforts to peacefully resolve the standoff over the detention.

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.

Source: Xinhua