Two small U.S. Navy vessels appear to be in Iranian custody, but their crews will be released promptly, the Pentagon confirmed Tuesday.
Two U.S. naval craft were en route from Kuwait to Bahrain when they disappeared from the Navy’s scopes. The incident marks the latest run-in between Iranian and U.S. crews. In late December, Iranian gunboats fired unguided missiles almost 1,000 yards away from the aircraft carrier the USS Harry S. Truman.
A U.S. official said the boats were small riverine variants and may have run out of gas or had mechanical issues and were believed to have been within 12 nautical miles of Iran when they broke down.
The U.S. government has been in communication with Iranian authorities, according to a senior defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence issues.
“We have received assurances the sailors will promptly be allowed to continue their journey,” the official said.
Another U.S. defense official said it was too early to say what exactly took place and how the American crew and vessels were “picked up” by Iran. He said the American craft and their crew were taken during the incident to Farsi Island, an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf where Iran maintains a naval base.
A senior defense official added that so far there was no indication of hostile intent and that the American crew was being well-treated by the Iranian government.
“In some ways this has been very professional,” the official said.
Defense Sec Ashton Carter was updated throughout the afternoon about the incident and spoke with Sec of State John Kerry and National Security Advisor Susan Rice.
In recent weeks, U.S. lawmakers have called for increased sanctions on Iran after the country tested two ballistic missiles in recent months. Since the tests, President Hassan Rouhani vowed to expand the country’s ballistic missile program.
