Iran Awards ‘Victory’ Medals to Troops Who Captured US Sailors

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, on Sunday awarded Fath medals to five commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps naval forces for the detention of 10 American sailors who trespassed into Iranian waters, according the official state news agency Press TV.

He also approved promotions for commanders and personnel who were “involved in the operation”, it added.

But from Iran’s vantage point and the dictates of its national security, the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Persian Gulf is of highest importance and is an issue that various Iranian presidents have raised in terms of collective security and the need for self-reliance and collective efforts of the Persian Gulf neutral states including Iran and others to maintain stability and peace and tranquility of the region.

Iranian political and military leaders have repeatedly castigated the USA over the incident, gloating about ostensible American panic, cowardice and lack of professionalism, and releasing a video showing soldiers being held at gunpoint and one sailor tearfully apologizing.

While Secretary of State John Kerry initially lauded the release of the 10 prisoners as sign of a great new era in Iran-U.S. diplomacy, others see rewarding the actions that brought the two countries into the situation in the first place as a sign that that assessment may be too generous. State media reported on the ceremony.

Khamenei last week attributed the USA boats’ entering Iranian waters to “God’s will” which forced them to “surrender”.

They were held for 13 days, sparking a diplomatic crisis.

General Fadavi said his forces had their missiles locked on a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf as the incident unfolded, and were awaiting orders to fire.

Ash Carter is the exception to the rule in this administration, which continues to deny the USA was humiliated in any way or that Iran is acting in a despicable manner toward us.

The U.S. troops were released one day after they were arrested by Iran after Tehran confirmed that their entrance into Iranian waters was a mistake due to a technical issue with their boats.