Former British prime minister Tony Blair pleaded with critics to stop questioning his intentions over Britain's war in Iraq, after a blistering verdict by the Chilcot Inquiry - but commentators on Thursday showed little sympathy.

"For his own sanity, he still has to tell himself the world is 'better and safer' for him joining George Bush's assault on Iraq," said an editorial in The Sun, Britain's top-selling newspaper. "It is a monumental delusion."

After the publication of the long-awaited inquiry report on Wednesday, Blair gave an emotional two-hour news conference, during which he acknowledged mistakes but defended his intentions - and said he would do it again.