Ten sailors who spent nearly 16 hours in Iranian custody are back in the United States, as an inquest continues into how they mistakenly steered into Iranian waters, triggering a high-stakes encounter that nearly derailed the looming U.S.-Iran nuclear deal. while questions linger about just how they ended up in Iranian waters.
The riverine sailors arrived in San Diego Friday evening and are in good health, according to a Navy release Saturday.
"Our Sailors are being reintegrated with dignity and professionalism," said Rear Adm. Frank Morneau, head of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. "My top priority is the health, welfare and well-being of our Shipmates as they return to duty."
The sailors entered Iranian waters Jan. 13 after what officials say was an unapproved shortcut gone awry on the wa to a rendezvous with a refueling ship. They were detained and arrested by Iranian forces for the better part of a day and were recorded for propaganda videos while the State Department and U.S. Navy worked to free them and their high-tech riverine command boats from the Iranian paramilitary forces on Farsi Island. get them and their vessels back.
A command investigation is assessing into the sailors' treatment by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps paramilitary forces and why the riverines changed course from their approved track and entered Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf, said Cmdr. Kevin Stephens, spokesman for Naval Forces Central Command.
"The Navy command investigation will focus on the Ssailors’ treatment while in Iranian custody, including any interrogation by Iranian personnel, and will also determine what caused the [riverine command boats'] change in course and why they entered into Iranian territorial waters in vicinity of Farsi Island," Stephens said. "The investigation continues and more details will be provided when it is completed."
Iran returned the sailors, guns and equipment Jan. 14 ending a tense stand-off that threatened to scuttle the Iran nuclear deal. U.S. officials have said the only item the Iranians kept were the The Iranians only seized taking only the SIM cards from the sailors' radios.
The Navy investigation may also examine a U.S. sailor's seeming apology to his captors in one of Iran's propaganda videos. Officials have not said how they're handling the U.S. sailor who appears to have apologized to the Iranian captors in a propaganda video.
David B. Larter was the naval warfare reporter for Defense News.
