USA sailors in Iran made ‘mistake in navigation’, White House confirms

The group was taken to an undisclosed location after reportedly straying two kilometres into Iranian waters due to a broken navigational system on board.

He said Tehran did not consider the U.S. Navy boats violating Iranian territorial waters as “innocent passage”.

Mr Carter said the sailors were not on a covert mission and were simply making their way from Kuwait to Bahrain, both on the western coast of the Gulf.

Iranian state television has released footage that appears to show shaken American sailors being detained by Iranian authorities aboard their Riverine boats during a tense global incident in the Persian Gulf Tuesday.

Controversy is exploding over the release of photos and videos showing the arrests of 10 USA sailors by the Iranian military.

The two USA boats strayed two kilometres into Iranian waters on Tuesday and were detained by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

It contrasted with Washington’s depiction of the incident where United States officials said no apology was offered as the boats had been in transit and had not meant to enter Iranian territory.

The boats, along with 10 US sailors, were seized by the ultra-conservative revolutionary guard after at least one of the vessels allegedly suffered mechanical difficulties and drifted into Iranian waters before running aground on Farsi Island.

In one of the videos, an American is seen apologizing in response to a question.

General Lloyd Austin, head of U.S. Central Command, said the equipment on the boats is being inventoried but nothing at first look appeared to be missing.

“All indications (were) that our sailors were well taken care of”, Kerry said in an address Wednesday. In 2007, Iran captured 15 British Navy sailors and marines and held them for 13 days.

“I can say unequivocally, the USA government did not apologize to the government of Iran in any way during the course of this”, a senior State Department official said Wednesday. Mr Carter thanked Secretary of State John Kerry “for his diplomatic engagement with Iran to secure our sailors’ swift return”.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter welcomed the sailors’ release. The sailors were released Wednesday morning. Their boat simply had a problem. “I’m very glad they’re released”.

As the recent case of the sailors shows, more communication and diplomacy can’t hurt.