Navigation Error Caused US Boats To Stray Into Iranian Waters

The new claim doesn’t jibe with previous reports of the incident, particularly the reports that one of the boats ran aground, as it’s hard to imagine they mis-navigated so much they slammed into an island.

The incident began Tuesday when the sailors were detained off the coast of Farsi Island, which is home to a Revolutionary Guard naval base and heavily restricted. At that point, commanders checked the GPS system tied to the boats and realized they were off course and inside Iranian waters.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi and Chairman of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi used Iranian media Thursday to commend the recent capture and release of ten USA sailors and their two riverine boats.

Videos on his Facebook page show him firing weapons.

Following the release of the sailors and the boats, Secretary of State John Kerry says he is “very pleased that our Sailors have been safely returned to US hands”.

Sharif said Iran was questioning the sailors and would take “necessary measures” if it is determined they were in Iranian waters to gather intelligence.

Detained American Navy sailors in an undisclosed location in Iran. Still another shows an Iranian official going through documents apparently on board one of the American boats.

The U.S. Central Command later said the “video appears to be authentic but we can not speak to the conditions of the situation or what the crew was experiencing at the time“.

“No, there was no apology, there was [nothing] to apologize for”, Biden said on CBS. They also said they had received assurances from Tehran that the crews would be allowed to sail onwards come first light.

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

The Navy said there were no indications that the sailors were harmed during their brief detention.

In a short video one of the sailors apologises, saying, “It was a mistake that was our fault and we apologise for our mistake”.

Secretary of State John Kerry said the quick resolution was indicative of the importance of diplomacy.