US Navy In Iran Update: Boats Captured In Persian Gulf; Will It Be Returned?
Iran demanded that the US should make an apology after a total of ten crews of two Navy boats were detained by Revolutionary Guards for "violating" the country's waters in the Gulf, according to a report by The Guardian. However, the boats being in the Iranian waters were unintentional as they were only drifted into their territory after experiencing some mechanical problems. American officials said that Tehran has already made assurance that the crew and vessels would be returned safely and promptly.
According to ABC News, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said in an interview broadcast on live television that Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had taken a "firm stance" on the said issue when he contacted US secretary of state John Kerry. Earlier, the state official released a statement that the crew as well as the two small US Navy ships that are currently under the custody of Iran will soon be allowed to get on with their journey. "The final order will be issued soon and they will probably be released," according to Fadavi who was quoted by the Tasnim news agency.
Peter Cook, who serves as the spokesman for Pentagon, said that the Riverine boats were moving between Kuwait and Bahrain when the US lost contact with them. It has then been learned that the incident happened near Farsi island and was on some sort of mechanical trouble with one of the boats that caused them to drift to Iranian territorial waters near the island, where they were picked up by Iran.
"We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances that the crew and the vessels will be returned promptly," Cook said.
"We have received assurances from [Iran] that our [US Navy] sailors are safe and that they will be allowed to continue their journey promptly," press secretary of the White House Josh Earnest told CNN.
