Iran Holds 2 US Navy Boats, 10 Sailors Detained, Pentagon: 2 U.S. Navy Boats Held by Iran Military
Iranian military forces seized two U.S. Navy boats Tuesday and are holding them in custody on Iran's Farsi Island in the middle of the Persian Gulf, senior U.S. officials told NBC News.
Officials said it's unclear whether the 10 American sailors aboard one of the small riverine boats had strayed into Iranian territorial waters before they were captured.
The officials said the Americans were on a training mission around noon ET when their boat experienced mechanical difficulty and drifted into Iranian-claimed waters and were seized by Iranian Coast guard. The crew was described as being safe.
Following reports of the incident, Secretary of State John Kerry had been on the phone with Iranian officials in Tehran attempting to gain the sailors' release.
One senior official told NBC News the Iranians understand it was a mistake and have agreed to release the Americans in international waters within hours
The Persian Gulf has been a flash point in the Middle East, and the incident comes on the same day President Barack Obama is set to give his annual State of the Union address
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told The Associated Press that the boats were moving between Kuwait and Bahrain when the U.S. lost contact with them.
Cook says, "We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances that the crew and the vessels will be returned promptly.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said on MSNBC that diplomacy between U.S. and Iranian officials "is working.
"Hopefully this will be resolved, and it won't be an issue that we're talking about in a couple of hours," she said.
