Iran Promises to Give Back U.S. Sailors It Is Currently Detaining

Official government sources stated that the two U.S. Navy vessels were moving through the Persian Gulf from Kuwait to Bahrain.

The Pentagon say they’ve been in contact with Iran and following discussions expect the US Navy crew members to be returned “promptly”.

The sailors are likely to be released on Wednesday morning, USA officials said.

Another official said that the boats may have drifted into Iranian waters near Farsi Island after experiencing mechanical problems. The incident took place near Farsi Island, an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf.

The officials said it’s unclear whether the sailors – nine men and one woman – aboard the two small riverine vessels had strayed into Iranian territorial waters before they were captured.

The vessels, known as Riverine Command Boats, are small and agile and often carry special operations forces into smaller bodies of water.

“If Iran is unwilling to promptly release US sailors detained today, sanctions must NOT be lifted as planned this month per #IranNuclearDeal”, tweeted Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J.

Even a brief seizure managed to cast a cloud over President Obama’s last State of the Union address, delivered on Capitol Hill just hours after news of the detention first leaked.

A senior defense official said the US lost contact with the craft earlier Tuesday.

Kerry started immediately reaching out to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif once he was notified of the incident, according to a senior administration official. It continues to be a delicate time for U.S.-Iran relations as the nuclear deal begins to be implemented.

“We were aware of circumstances surrounding the patrol in the Persian Gulf”, Rhodes said.

Run aground… Two US Navy ships drifted into Iranian waters.

Yukia Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, could sign off this week on Iran’s progress toward dismantling of machines that process nuclear fuel and shipment of uranium stockpiles. However, Iranian forces seized the Global Positioning System devices and weapons of the ships, displaying the equipment on its national media and stating that the sailors have been arrested.

This incident follows another odd Iranian military mistake in December, when Iranian naval vessels conducted rocket tests near US warships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.