Navy boats drifted off-course into Iranian waters

Carter provided no detail but said “a navigational error of some kind” led to the two small patrol boats ending up in Iranian water on Tuesday.

But while critics were tweeting, Secretary of State John Kerry was busy working with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to get the Americans released.

The 10 USA sailors briefly held by Iran before being released on Wednesday made a navigational mistake that led them into Iranian waters but did not communicate that to Navy commanders before being intercepted; the US military said on Thursday. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered an immediate investigation to determine whether the US sailors had deliberately sailed into Iranian waters, and ultimately had the final say in their release, Iranian officials said.

Speaking at a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Christie said on Wednesday that “this is why the American people are so nervous, why they are scared and anxiety-ridden over our place in the world and what it means for the goal our own safety and the safety of our fellow citizens”.

Fadavi said Zarif “had a firm stance” during the telephone conversation with Kerry about the sailors’ presence in Iran’s territorial waters and “said they should not have come and should apologize”. Some called for a review of the nuclear deal in light of Iran’s actions.

Opponents of Iran’s rapprochement with the west, particularly within the Republican dominated US Congress, had sought to undermine the nuclear deal following the detention of the US military personnel.

The Pentagon is investigating whether the crew members were mistreated during their brief detention, why the two boats lost communications and why they entered waters strictly off-limits to USA vessels.

Kerry has credited Zarif with helping bridge the deep mistrust between the USA and Iranian governments after decades of estrangement and has remained in contact by phone with him in the months since the nuclear deal was negotiated. As far as we know, the incident occurred due to a mechanical failure (of one of the boats of the US Navy).

The White House told reporters Thursday that President Barack Obama had seen the images of the detained sailors.

“That this issue was resolved peacefully and efficiently is a testament to the critical role diplomacy plays in keeping our country safe, secure, and strong”, Kerry added in a statement.

The incident came at a time that the implementation day for Tehran’s historic nuclear deal with six world powers, including the USA, was approaching.

General Lloyd Austin, who oversees the United States military s Central Command, said the Iranians had “largely” returned the U.S. equipment. “The U.S. Navy would never demand Iranian sailors hold their hands on their heads and coerce a confession of guilt or apology to be broadcast”. They were picked up by Navy aircraft and other sailors took control of their boats for the return voyage to Bahrain, where the US 5th Fleet is based.

Carter said the sailors apparently did not radio in to tell their commanders they were off-course before encountering the Iranians.

In one of those incidents, Iran temporarily seized a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship over what it said was a commercial dispute before releasing it with its crew more than a week later.

It said the sailors departed the Iranian base on Farsi Island at 0843 GMT on the same boats that brought them there.