US Navy sailors held by Iran are released with their boats

A US Navy sailor has been forced to make a humiliating apology on Iranian TV after being captured in the country’s territorial waters.

This comes on the heels of an incident in late December when Iran launched a rocket test near US warships and boats passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The semi-official Iranian news agency, FARS, said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s navy has detained 10 foreign forces, believed to be Americans, and said the sailors were trespassing in Iranian waters.

Photos released by Iran show the sailors at the time of their capture kneeling on the deck of their boat with their hands behind their heads, as well as sitting on the floor while in detention.

“Iran held and humiliated our sailors-knowing they can get away with anything as long as Obama is in office”, U.S. Sen.

This picture released by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, shows detained American Navy sailors in an undisclosed location in Iran.

“When you follow the path of appeasement, it only emboldens the bad actors, and our prayers are that these sailors are released and they’re released quickly”.

“There may have been mechanical failure on one of the vessels, but it is unclear at this time”, a defense official told VOA.

Another clip shows the various armaments and ammunition found on the two boats, including rifles, machine guns and handguns. “When you have a problem with the boat, (do) you apologize the boat had a problem?”

The sailors, nine men and one woman, were released early Wednesday.

After their release, the sailors departed the island at 0843 GMT aboard the boats they were detained with, the Navy said.

“Everybody should be aware of the fact we have been in touch with the Iranians and they have assured us that our sailors are safe and that they’ll be allowed to continue their journey promptly”, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. The soldier in the video said members of the Revolutionary Guard approached them with their weapons drawn.

But the lifting of sanctions is due to begin with the pending implementation, and this incident could throw a wrench in the works.

The U.S. Navy issued a statement Wednesday after Iranian state media announced the sailors had been freed. In the coming days, the U.S.is set to unfreeze roughly $100 billion in Iranian assets. Tom Cotton told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

But Earnest pushed back on the criticism of the deal. Kevin Stephens. He declined to say where they were traveling to or provide details on their identities.

The speedy resolution of the case is in contrast to other incidents where British servicemen have been held for up to two weeks. “And as we speak, Iran has rolled back its nuclear program, shipped out its uranium stockpile, and the world has avoided another war”, Obama said, in his only mention of Iran in his final State of the Union speech.

In June 2004, Iran arrested six Royal Marines and two naval personnel – part of a US-led force in Iraq – for straying into its waters, stirring diplomatic tensions between the two.

“They were released in global waters after they apologised”, it added.