White House: Iran has assured immediate release of American sailors

Reports indicate that 10 American sailors along with two of their naval boats were detained by Iranian forces on Tuesday, January 12, in the Persian Gulf. White House spokesperson Josh Earnest stated that Iran has assured that these sailors will soon be allowed to continue their journey. He told CNN, 'The Iranians have assured us that the crew and the boats will be allowed to continue their journey soon.' However, two American officials told Reuters that it seems unlikely Iran will release the sailors overnight. Reuters notes that given the sensitive conditions ahead of the implementation of the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, both Iran and the U.S. are reluctant to escalate tensions over this issue. Earlier, international media reported that on Tuesday, 10 American sailors along with their two boats were detained near Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf. Following these reports, a Pentagon spokesperson announced that the boats were moving between Kuwait and Bahrain when contact was lost. Peter Cook added, 'One of the two patrol boats of the American sailors encountered a technical problem near Farsi Island, and contact with them was lost.' The Pentagon spokesperson further stated, 'We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances from them that the sailors along with their boats will be returned soon.' According to Reuters, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif assured his American counterpart John Kerry in a phone call. CNN reported that an American official also stated that contact had been made with the sailors held by Iranian forces, and they are expected to be released at dawn tomorrow in international waters in the Persian Gulf. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also announced in a statement that they had detained 10 American sailors, stating that they are safe and in good health. The IRGC's statement said, 'At 4:30 PM on Tuesday, two American combat vessels carrying ten armed Marines that entered the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran near Farsi Island were seized by the naval units of the second naval zone of the IRGC and transferred to Farsi Island.' The IRGC also stated that the American sailors include 9 men and 1 woman, who 'are in good health and have been placed in a suitable location.' This incident comes after the United States released images of Iran's 'missile launch' tests near an American aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, an event that occurred in late December, although the IRGC denied this.