Iranian Air Defense Commander Comments on Arrest of American Sailors

In response to the arrest of American sailors, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base stated that Iran had '12 missiles ready to launch' at American fighter jets. Last month, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps detained 10 American Navy sailors who had mistakenly entered Iranian waters due to navigation errors. These individuals were ultimately released the next day, but state media and senior Iranian officials continued to react to the incident after their release. In the latest reaction, Brigadier General Farzad Esmaeili, commander of the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, said on a state television program on February 6 that they had prepared 12 missiles to be launched at American F-18 fighter jets. According to this military official, American fighter jets took off following the seizure of the American boats, approached Iranian borders, and did not respond to initial warnings. Esmaeili stated, 'But when they saw our missile systems activated and locked onto them, they immediately responded, although they had only 30 seconds, and after that time, the missiles would definitely have been launched.' He added that after these events, 'the leader of the American planes contacted us and said we pose no threat to you, we only ask you to confirm if our forces are safe,' to which they responded, 'You should stay away from our borders; you have no right to approach, and your forces will be dealt with according to international law, and you will hear about it.' The initial report from the U.S. military regarding the arrest of the American sailors indicates that they were aware of the initial encounter with Iranian forces when their boat experienced technical difficulties. However, minutes later, communication with their American base was cut off. At the same time, a large operation was launched to locate them. According to the U.S. military, they attempted to establish communication with units stationed on Farsi Island, where the sailors were transferred. On the other hand, they also informed the Iranian Coast Guard of the situation by phone. However, hours later, an American warship received a message from Iran regarding the sailors' arrest. Brigadier General Farzad Esmaeili stated that the command under his leadership was 'engaged in this operation from 6 PM to 2 AM.' According to this military official, after that hour, American planes moved 60 miles away from the borders, but their patrols and the activation of Iran's missile systems continued. Some American figures and officials, from presidential candidates to international law experts, have reacted to the arrest of the sailors. In Iran, this issue has also been widely addressed by senior Iranian officials; while the Supreme Leader awarded 'Victory Medals' to five IRGC commanders for these events, a group of maritime law experts in the U.S. stated that the arrest of the American sailors 'constituted a dangerous violation of international law.' According to this group, under United Nations maritime law, which Iran has also signed, warships enjoy absolute immunity and can regularly and swiftly pass through the territorial waters of another country as long as they do not engage in military operations. Ashton Carter, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, thanked John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, for the 'diplomatic interactions' regarding this matter following the sailors' release.