Iranians hold US navy boats in Persian Gulf

Pentagon: Iran Holding Two US Navy Boats in Persian Gulf

Sputnik News,

12 January, 2016

According to the Pentagon, it briefly lost contact with two small US Navy boats operating in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday. The vessels have been picked up by Iran, who has assured Washington that both ships and crewmembers will be returned to the US "promptly."

"We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances that the crew and the vessels will be returned promptly," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told the Associated Press, adding that the ships were travelling between Kuwait and Bahrain when the Pentagon lost contact.

Senior defense officials told the Daily Beast the sailors — reportedly 9 men and one woman — would be held through US President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in Washington on Tuesday evening, and through Wednesday.  

Military officials speaking to NBC News say that up to ten US sailors were on a training mission around noon ET when one of the vessels — small riverines — began experiencing mechanical difficulties and drifted into Iranian waters. The sailors have been detained by Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces on Farsi Island.

© U.S. NAVAL FORCES CENTRAL       US Riverine Command Boats

The White House says it is working to resolve the situation, and wants all US personnel returned to normal deployment. Deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters at the White House that the administration is hopeful that the situation will be resolved.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is in communication with Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, and one senior official speaking to NBC says that Tehran believes the incident to be an accident and that the Americans will be released in international waters within hours.

I doubt they were there for the scenery. Of course they were spying.

Iran Has US Navy GPS Equipment, Will Prove 'American Ships Were Snooping'

Sputnik News,

12 january, 2016

Iran's semiofficial Fars new agency reported the two US Navy boats detained in the Persian Gulf had illegally traveled more than a mile into Iran's territorial waters, and that GPS equipment confiscated by Islamic Revolutionary Guards Navy forces would "prove that the American ships were 'snooping' around in Iranian waters."

Ten American service members were arrested in the encounter, the New York Times reported, citing Tabnak, a semiofficial Iranian website. 

The Pentagon reported earlier Tuesday that it briefly lost contact with two small US Navy boats operating in the Persian Gulf. The vessels were picked up by Iran, which has assured Washington that both ships and all crew members would be returned to the US "promptly."

Military officials told NBC News that up to ten US sailors were on a training mission around noon ET when one of the vessels — small riverines — began experiencing mechanical difficulties and drifted into Iranian waters. The sailors were detained by Iranian forces and were being held on Farsi Island in the Gulf.

The Daily Beast later reported the sailors — reportedly 9 men and one woman — would be held through US President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in Washington on Tuesday evening, and through Wednesday.  The publication cited senior defense officials.  Two US officials confirmed to Reuters that it was unlikely the sailors would be released overnight.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed the seizure of the US boats, and reported that the sailors are alive and well.