White House: Pleased Iran released sailors, still has concerns

Another US official said mechanical issues may have disabled one of the boats, leading to a situation in which both ships drifted inadvertently into Iranian waters.

In 2003 when Iraq showed imaged of American prisoners of war on television the George W. Bush administration called the move “disgusting” and Congress reacted quickly, passing a unanimous resolution demanding that Iraq abide by the laws of war, Breitbart News reported.

“I can say unequivocally, the USA government did not apologize to the government of Iran in any way during the course of this”, a senior State Department official said Wednesday. The iranians picked up both boats, as we have picked up Iranian boats that needed to be rescued and took them to – I’m not sure exactly where.

“It’s just an indication of where the hell we’re going”.

“The Iranian behavior was fantastic while we were here”.

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

Iranian media had previously published images of the American sailors looking much more relaxed while apparently in Iranian detention late Tuesday.

They had said on Tuesday that Tehran assured them the crew and vessels would be returned safely and promptly.

But the Guards spokesman said that was speculation.

Vice President Joe Biden said there was “nothing to apologize for”. “When you have a problem with the boat you apologize the boat had a problem?” Sailors on the Anzio then took the two patrol craft back to Bahrain.

The semi-official Iranian news agency, FARS, said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s navy has detained 10 foreign forces, believed to be Americans, and said the sailors were trespassing in Iranian waters.

Iran detained the sailors who were aboard two us navy boats in the Gulf in an incident that rattled nerves days ahead of the expected implementation of a landmark nuclear accord.

It added that the crew was undergoing “the reintegration process and we will continue to investigate this incident”. He questioned whether there was a navigation plan for the trip from Kuwait City to Bahrain, or whether the crew followed the plan.

The process is broken into three phases, with the first focusing on recovery, the second comprising of a 72-hour decompression period with debriefings, and the third phase involving their transfer home and their reunions with family members. “That’s epic incompetence right there”.

“Ten American sailors have been taken into custody in Iran”, Sen.

White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said the relationship between the two diplomats was key to resolving the matter, and United States defence chief Ash Carter thanked Mr Kerry for his efforts.