Iran Seizes 2 US Navy Boats, Crewmen For "Illegally Entering Iranian Waters"
Update: Iran plans to return the crewmen to a ship from the USS Truman carrier strike group on Wednesday.
JUST IN: Plans are in place for Iran to return U.S. sailors to U.S. Navy Wed. morning, gulf time, US defense official says - Reuters
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) January 13, 2016
JUST IN: #Iran to return detained #US sailors to a ship from USS Truman carrier strike group: US defence official
— The Straits Times (@STcom) January 13, 2016
So we suppose we can just call the sailors "State of the Union hostages". The rationale for waiting until tomorrow (i.e. until after Obama's speech): it's safer to carry out the exchange in daylight, according to an unnamed US official.
In short, the Ayatollah has just pulled off one epic publicity stunt.
* * *
Tensions were already running high between Tehran and Washington in the wake of Iran's move to test-fire a next generation surface-to-surface ballistic missile with the range to hit Israel.
And then the IRGC conducted a live-fire rocket test within 1,500 yards of a US aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz.
Now, in a further escalation, Iran has reportedly seized two US Navy ships.
- 2 U.S. NAVY BOATS IN IRANIAN CUSTODY, PENTAGON SAYS: AP
- RHODES SAYS U.S. WORKING ON RETURN OF CREW
- RHODES SAYS U.S. WORKING TO RESOLV
But nobody panic, because Iran has promised to return the crew "promptly" and as CNN adds, according to Iran the sailors are safe:
.@PressSec: "We have received assurances from the Iranians that our sailors are safe" https://t.co/GV9hdWZy3P https://t.co/1ioOtqYVH4
— CNN (@CNN) January 12, 2016
That appears to contradict a statement from Fars which says the US has "repeated" calls for the crew's release.
AP writes that the Pentagon says it briefly lost contact with two small Navy craft in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday but has received assurances from Iran that the crew and vessels will be returned safely and promptly.
Pentagon says these photos show examples of the type of craft involved in Iran incident pic.twitter.com/47ClLilOZK
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 12, 2016
"Riverine command boats or RCBs, are actually Swedish CB-90s and are a type of fast attack craft," WaPo notes, adding that "in a number of pictures released by the U.S. Navy, the boats are outfitted with a number of light, medium and heavy weapons including .50 caliber heavy machine guns and GAU-19 miniguns."
"RCB’s can carry contingents of infantry and special operation forces and are often crewed by sailors in Riverine squadrons, known by some as River Rats," WaPo continues. "The riverine force came of age in the Vietnam War in what was then known as the Brown Water Navy. In the 1960s and early 1970s boats such as Patrol Boat, River (from ‘Apocalypse Now’ fame) and Swift Boats were the River Rats vessels of choice."
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook tells The Associated Press that the boats were moving between Kuwait and Bahrain when the US 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."
The crews, which total 10 Navy sailors, are being held at Farsi Island, a highly restricted island between Bahrain and Kuwait, where Iran has a naval base. US officials are saying it is unclear how the crew members ended up in Iranian waters, though Secretary of State John Kerry has kept phone contact with Iranian officials in Tehran, urging for a release. A senior official told NBC News the Iranians understand a mistake was made and have agreed to a release to come in hours.
According to AP, an anonymous senior official says Kerry "personally engaged with” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to work out a solution almost immediately upon hearing of the development around 12:30 pm EST.
Josh Earnest, the White House spokesperson, said the sailors will be released "promptly" and " allowed to continue their journey."
The international incident comes on the day President Obama will give his final State of the Union speech of his tenure. Obama's political opponents are capitalizing on the timing, especially since the International Spectator, citing Iran Revolutionary Guard, reports that "seized US sailors will not be released tonight or before State of the Union address."
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) told CNN, "senior members of Barack Obama's administration are apologizing for Iran seizing two US Navy vessels and holding 10 sailors hostage. The White House tonight is a hot bed of cold feet."
Presidential candidates Dr. Ben Carson and Jeb Bush have taken to Twitter to criticize Obama's reaction. Bush called for "no more bargaining" and an immediate return home for the sailors, whereas Carson took a shot at Obama's "preparing to talk about his so called 'accomplishments'" in reference to tonight's national address.
If our sailors aren’t coming home yet, they need to be now. No more bargaining. Obama’s humiliatingly weak Iran policy is exposed again.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) January 12, 2016
BREAKING: While POTUS is preparing to talk about his so called "accomplishments", 10 of our American sailors are being held by #Iran.
— Dr. Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) January 12, 2016
This marks the second time in as many weeks that the President's "soft" policy on Iran has come under fire. Following the abovementioned rocket incident GOP lawmakers called for fresh sanctions on Tehran in connection with two ballistic missile launches in October and November. The White House was apparently prepared to announce a new set of measures aimed at around a dozen individuals and companies but at the last minute, the administration backed out. Obama's cold feet came after President Rouhani ordered the defense ministry to accelerate the country's ballistic missile program in the event new sanctions were put in place.
Meanwhile, according to Iran's version of today's events, Fars News agency says US sailors picked up by Revolutionary Guard Corps, from hardline camp who are opposed to the nuclear deal. Fars adds that the sailors were detained for illegally and "intentionally" entering Iranian waters even though they knew the area well. Tehran also contends the US ships were having "technical difficulties."
Fars News says IRGC detained 10 US military personnel in 2 boats for illegally entering Iranian waters in Gulf https://t.co/daqeCflOrM
— Borzou Daragahi (@borzou) January 12, 2016
Fars says US sailors know area, carrying GPS, intentionally entered Iran's territorial waters
— Sobhan Hassanvand (@Hassanvand) January 12, 2016
Fars: Both US boats "illegally" entered 2 km into Iranian waters, and IRGC confirms this info on their GPS record. https://t.co/V266Fsx42h
— FDD's Iran Project (@FDD_Iran) January 12, 2016
Just in: Iran's Fars news agency says 10 US sailors held include one woman
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) January 12, 2016
#Iran Questions:
- Kuwait to Bahrain is 300 nautical miles. Why were US sailors traveling by small boats? Joy ride? https://t.co/xmRCY6Or36
— Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) January 13, 2016
And here is the full Fars statement, google translated:
According to defense Fars News Agency, Iranian Revolutionary Guards 10 US military with two boats illegally entered Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf had been detained.
According to the information received by the Fars news agency every American boat is equipped with 3 machine guns caliber 50 (one in front and two on the sides of the float).
The two vessels illegally entered and patrolled about 2 km deep inside Iranian waters, and the information recorded on their GPS device and is now in the hands of Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
The military said among the arrested were 9 men and one woman. They carried heavy weapons in their vessels.
US officials repeated calls for the release of prisoners will continue with Tehran.
So, they are prisoners, and unlike the White House tried to spin it, guests of honor?
Ironically, earlier we asked:
Is Iran going to wait until the end of the SOTU address before returning the 10 sailors?
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 12, 2016
We now have the answer:
BREAKING: Iranian Revolutionary Guards official says seized US sailors will not be released tonight or before State of the Union address.
— The Int'l Spectator (@intlspectator) January 12, 2016
(23 votes)
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navy brass is giving the finger to the speech yuk yuk yuk
Or maybe it was because they were probing Iran's coastal waters to look for weaknesses in their defenses, and then killed their engines and feigned being disabled when they were caught?
Or maybe the DOD was running a simulation on their ships computers telling them they were well outside of Iran's territorial waters?
You know, it's funny the ways you can get people into accidentally starting wars...
Why are you so sure that it was some mysterious EMP-like technology? I don't see any evidence right now amongst such a rich history of provacateuring.
We do not belong there.
Now,Now,now...calm down...Obama has to complet the back 9. Be with you in a sec
' Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said on MSNBC that the pending release of the sailors shows how diplomacy between U.S. and Iranian officials "is working." '
What a clueless moron.
Whether or in what capacity this might be related or not, but something happened during that visit with Lavrov & Vlad a few weeks back...
Aren't the US Navy boats about 6,000 fucking miles EAST of where they need to be? Compass broke?....Gilligan at the helm?...
Gilligan had some caution...
"...The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle,..."
Fuck that! What the hell are they doing there in the first place?
This story doesn't add up.
Don't worry, Obama will tell us the whole truth about the situation tonight.
"This story doesn't add up."
That is because you are no using cumming whore math.
I agree, something doesn't add up. Why wouldn't they have air rescue support? Why couldn't another US warship or aircraft intercept this hijack in progress? Why did these US sailors/special ops crew allow themselves to be taken without a fight? Were these guys seals? Why did the Iranian navy feel bold enough to try this? Lots of questions and no answers forthcoming I suppose. All I can say is US naval operations in the gulf appear to have their hands tied big time. The threat of those iranian missles must be quite real. I can only speculate that the navy doesn't want to provoke a full on iranian missle realease that might turn the gulf into a shooting gallery. Iran appears to be pushing the limits, and perhaps looking for a reason to say birds away.
I find it hard to believe, even with obama as commander-in-chief, that two US vessels were siezed by Iran. I'll play the cynic and suggest, for argument's sake, the US had placed those vessels in that location with every intention of allowing them to be captured and we'll see why very shortly.
You may be right - I just read an AP article about it. The whole gist of the article was how Kerry and the Iranians are all buddy-buddy so Kerry called them and all is well now.
Maybe just a PR stunt for Frenchy/Obama
Its not cynicism, its called reality. More folks need to wake up to this bulllshit "perpetual war" crap that is being delivered by the leaders of the United States.
Well, looking at past precedent, we do have the case of the "October Surprise", where foreign policy crises involving Iran have been well synchronized with key US political moments to maximize media value, with apparently the cooperation of US and Iranian officials alike. I wouldn't be surprised if at least American officials are attempting a similar act here.
"Boys, Jeb ain't doin so well in the polls, and we've still got this war with Iran to get on. Let's move to execute order 66 and give good ol Jebby a chance to do right by the god of the old testament."
Best Case: MIC get's their Gulf of Tonkin Moment
Worst Case: Jeb and co get a chance to grandstand about Obama's "weakness"
Iran are sending the US a pretty clear message - Don't FUCK with us OR your navy will be disabled and your planes will fall out of the sky - Very clever country IRAN !
Actually the only message they are sending is if you encroach on their territory they will buy you some lunch and then send you off with a wave.
Iran seizes US aircraft carrier Franklin D. Rooseveldt. Obama orders ship to surrender. Blames captain for "provocation".
The Navy Seals that were captured wish to be "buried at sea" which is there custom!...
Who's the sweetest little bitch?!!!
Do the Navy craft personnel carry Pepper Spray?
I certainly hope they don't get raped. I mean.... you know, being raped by someone other than their very own government would leave them feeling dirty inside.
In all seriousness, I hope they are released safely and return home to their families.
According to RT Kerry has contacted Iran and asked for the crew and vessals safe return - Iran said 'sure' we realise it was an honest mistake and they can all head home in a couple of hours - probably under TOW !
I NEVER believe MSM news reports about the US and Iran, this type of reporting is purely for the purpose of propaganda. To take the words of US military sources or their lackeys at face value is ludicrous in the extreme. Anyone whose been reading this website for any length of time knows how this farce works; PLEASE!
The sacred rule of opposites will never be forgotten.
while i certainly hope for a good ending to this story, including the return of the sailors and boats to the US.....
this is precious news RIGHT BEFORE THE DELIVERY OF THE PROPAGANDA SPEECH FROM THE MUSLIM
FUCK HIM
"Why just today I kept you safe..."
Trump is in.
trump
believes healthcare is a birthright
voted for obama in 2008
still accepts the bailouts as a good idea
like taxing the rich policies , progressive income taxes
Please call him Obama II
save us from Billionaires, elect a Billionaire
absurdity
A: Billionaire
B: Puppet owned by a Billionaire
That's what we call freedom. I guess some people don't appreciate freedom.
Obama will have them all back by speech time...so he can pound his chest. This is all planned
Obama should go for a helicopter rescue.
Trump just made a deal with Iran to release them only after he gets elected.
Did you say helicopter?
Saint Ronnie would approve.
All by design...Just testing...Found out what they needed to know.
no harm, no foul
Barry said lunch and they thought he said launch!
Why do I feel that somehow, by someone, this has been staged?
Gulf of Tonkin anyone??
It was Cheney who had the idea to paint-up some PT Boats like Iranian attack skiffs and fire on American sailors.
They were on a spying mission, period.
Yea correct me if I am wrong but I believe back in the 50's, North Korea captured a US electronic reconnaissance ship and has it sitting in a harbor as a national tourist attraction, visceral proof of the US's "imperialist ambitions and provocateuring aggressions".
The Jew will do anything to start a war involving our boys and our cash.
Seems our boats "accidentally" ran aground in Iran:
U.S. officials said that the incident happened near Farsi Island, situated in the middle of the Persian Gulf. They say it stemmed from some type of mechanical trouble with one of the boats, causing them to run aground. The troops were picked up by Iran.
what are the iranians doin in the gulf of Tonkin? uh oh.............
What would the U.S. Navy do if it saw an Iranian navy vessel a few miles off Key West?
What if the vessel ran aground in Fort Lauderdale?
the haitians would run like the wind and disappear in minutes. the cubans would be shouting cuba libre and have their relatives pick them up and take them to calle ocho for a celebration.
They would be considered refugees and given keys to the city
I think the Fag in chief should fly immediately to Tehran and negotiate the release himself