Pentagon: Iran Has Taken Control of Two U.S. Navy Boats

The U.S. Department of Defense states that Iran has taken control of two American boats along with their sailors, but U.S. officials have received assurances from Tehran that the sailors will be released safely and immediately with their boats. Peter Cook, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, told the Associated Press that the boats were moving between Kuwait and Bahrain when contact was lost. The spokesperson added, "One of the two American patrol boats encountered a technical problem between Kuwait and Bahrain near Farsi Island, lost contact with the center, and entered Iranian waters." He stated, "We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances from them that the sailors will be returned soon along with their boats." Reuters reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif assured his American counterpart John Kerry during a phone call. According to CNN, an American official also stated that contact had been established with the sailors in Iranian custody, and they are expected to be released in the early morning hours when daylight breaks in international waters in the Persian Gulf. The Revolutionary Guard also announced in a statement that the American sailors, consisting of nine men and one woman, are "in good health and have been properly accommodated by the Islamic fighters of the second naval zone of the Guard." According to the Guard's statement, these American sailors were detained on Tuesday at 4:30 PM and transferred to Farsi Island after their arrest. American officials stated that this incident occurred near Farsi Island, located in the middle of the Persian Gulf. Apparently, the boats encountered technical issues and lost their way. Ten American sailors were on these two boats. John Kerry immediately contacted Mohammad Javad Zarif by phone to inform him of the situation. American officials said that Mr. Kerry "personally contacted Zarif about this matter to resolve the issue." The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense of the United States were informed of the situation at 12:30 PM Eastern Time while they were in a meeting with their Filipino counterparts. This incident on Tuesday follows Iran's missile test near an American warship in late December.