The vice-president of the European Parliament claimed the seizure of 15 Royal Navy personnel by Iran was "hostage taking", during a speech made in Bradford.
Edward McMillan-Scott, Conservative Party MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, urged the British Government to get tough with the Iranians and ensure that there are no strings attached to any future release of the sailors.
Mr McMillan-Scott spoke out before a visit to Bradford University where he attended a European Research Seminar into the future of European integration.
During his trip to the university, Mr McMillan-Scott viewed language training facilities, met international students and learnt more about the university's ambition to become the first carbon-neutral campus in the country with the help of EU funding.
He said: "I am delighted to have been invited to Bradford University. Spending a lot of time trying to encourage democracy in countries on the EU's borders, I am particularly interested in the role Bradford University plays in providing training to those who want to find work in mainland Europe.
"Language training is a key means to promoting European integration and as a speaker of French and Italian myself, it has been a privilege to visit the university which leads the field in this area."
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