Carter says ‘navigation error’ – not mechanical problem – put USA boats in

When Iranian naval vessels approached, the 10 USA sailors aboard the two 50-foot-long riverine boats tried to make a run for it. But one boat developed engine trouble that slowed its escape, and the crew and both craft were quickly seized.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy is debriefing the 10 sailors, looking to get details about the apology.

The sailors, nine men and one woman, were held overnight on Iran’s Farsi Islandand released Wednesday.

Donald Trump denounced the sight of “Iranian wise guys having guns” to the heads of the American sailors.

US officials released video footage of the incident and said the Iranians announced over maritime radio they were conducting a live-fire exercise.

The U.S. commander who spoke on camera has indicated he felt pressure to talk about how well they were being treated.

Iranian TV showed video of a sailor saying, “It was a mistake”.

The administration has, alternatively, couched the sailors’ release as a diplomatic victory.

While the sailors appear to be fine physically they are “tired and upset” about what happened, according to the official.

“We will find out more what combination of factors led to that navigational error, but they were clearly out of the position that they meant to be in”, Carter said.

The boats, known as riverine command boats, were on their way from Kuwait to Bahrain.

The Iranians used the video to declare that the USA had officially apologized.

The airing of footage of the incident, which shows the sailors on their knees with their hands up while surrounded by armed Iranian Revolutionary Guards, has generated controversy, with Carter telling reporters Thursday, “Obviously I don’t like to see our people being detained by a foreign military”. “In terms of this specific mission … we’re going to have to wait until we get more information coming from these sailors and from the boats that we’ve gotten back and the equipment on those”.

Two others defense officials also said it appears the crew was so involved in fixing the engine that they didn’t realize where they were until the Iranians boats approached them.

“I can say unequivocally, the US government did not apologize to the government of Iran in any way during the course of this”, a senior State Department official said Wednesday.

US Secretary of State John Kerry issued a statement shortly after, thanking Iran for allowing the servicemen to return.