US Edition 
Iran parades US sailors on state TV before releasing them unharmed
Iran frees 10 US military personnel who were detained after "accidentally" straying into sensitive waters
Latest
17.30
Crisis averted as incident ends in rare words of conciliation
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16:10 |
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John Kerry says soldiers "well taken care of" |
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The Telegraph's Ruth Sherlock writes: John Kerry, secretary of state has said that the quick resolution of the capture of the US Navy sailors in the Persian Gulf was “testament” to the newly cemented diplomatic relations between America and Iran. “I am appreciative of the quick and appropriate response from the Iranian authorities,” he said in Washington. “It is testament to the critical role that diplomacy plays in keeping our country safe and secure and strong.” He said that the soldiers were “well taken care of... we can all imagine how that situation might have played out three or four years ago” before the Iranian nuclear deal. |
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15:21 |
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John Kerry's spokesman: We did not apologise to Iran |
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John Kerry's official spokesman has fired off this rather interesting tweet:
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15:18
New image purportedly shows moment US sailors were captured
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14:24 |
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John Kerry's statement in full |
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13:44
John Kerry thanks Iran for "peaceful, efficient" resolution
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11:44 |
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Sailors 'have left Iran unharmed' |
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"The sailors departed Farsi Island... aboard the two Riverine Command Boats (RCB) that they had been operating when they lost contact with the US Navy," the Pentagon said. "The sailors were later transferred ashore by US Navy aircraft, while other sailors took charge of the RCBs and continued transiting toward Bahrain, the boats' original destination." |
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11:25 |
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Pentagon to investigate why US sailors were in Iranian waters |
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The Pentagon has confirmed the sailors are released unharmed but says it will investigate the circumstances "which led to" them being in Iranian waters. |
11:17
"No indication" sailors were harmed
10:59
Analysis: Has Iran turned over a new leaf?
10:33
Bemused expressions on faces of US sailors
10:26
US sailors and their patrol boats released
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10:24 |
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Images emerge of US sailors |
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10:10 |
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From earlier - Iran's demand for apology |
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All 10 sailors have been released according to Iranian state television. |
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10:03 |
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All 10 US sailors have been released |
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Accoring to state television the Revolutionary Guard has released the 10 sailors detained last night for straying into Iranian waters. |
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09:41 |
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Graphic: Iranian waters where US sailors went astray |
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Interactive: US navy in Iran waters
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08:56
Good morning
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07:45 |
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Navigation system had "broken" |
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The Iranian navy has just told AFP news agency that a "broken" navigation system is what led US sailors into Iranian territory. |
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06:44 |
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Iran 'demanding an apology' |
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As well as playing down reports of a prompt release of the sailors, Iran is said to be demanding an apology from the US after its sailors were arrested for "violating" Iran's waters. "Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was in touch with US Secretary of State Kerry," Iran's Revolutionary Guards' naval commander, Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi, said in an interview broadcast live on state television. "Zarif took a firm stance as the sailors had violated Iran's territorial waters and asked the United States for an apology," he added.
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06:34
Iran plays down reports of release
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06:15 |
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Sailors' release approaching |
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CNN is reporting that the sailors are set to be released within the next hour. Officials had already indicated it would be Wednesday morning, and the US broadcaster now says they should be returned at 2am ET, which is 07:00 GMT.
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05.59 |
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What we know so far |
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Summary
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04:45 |
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Riverine Squadron 1 |
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More details have emerged of what happened. According to AP, officials said the sailors were part of Riverine Squadron 1 based in San Diego and were deployed to the US Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain. When the US lost contact with the boats, ships attached to the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier strike group began searching the area, along with aircraft flying off the Truman. Officials say they have spoken to the crew. |
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01:38 |
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Plans emerge for handover |
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Reuters is reporting more details on the expected handover of the 10 US sailors. Iran plans to return the sailors to a US Navy vessel in international waters early Wednesday, a US. defence official said. The official told the news agency it was deemed safer to carry out the exchange in daylight. The plans call for Iran to bring the sailors to international waters, where they will be transferred to a vessel from the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. However, it is still not clear what will happen with the two riverine patrol boats that the sailors were on when they were detained. Iran had assured the US government that the sailors were being treated well and there were no injuries, the official added. |
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01:25 |
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"It's not so good," Donald Trump comments |
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The Republican presidential candidate didn't miss the opportunity to comment on the seizing of two US Navy boats in the Persian Gulf. During a campaign rally in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Mr Trump said: "You heard what happened, Iran took over two of our boats, they said they are going to release them, oh isn't that nice?"
"They are going to release them. This isn't the same country, when I hear that, just happened, just happened, it literally just happened and I think it's not so good. Its just an indication of where the hell we are going. Hopefully, they get released and fast, but it seems to be an indication of where we are going. That Iran deal is the dumbest deal I think I have ever seen. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it." |
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23:56 |
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Hopes high of Wednesday release |
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Several agencies are now reporting that the sailors are expected to be released on Wednesday morning. |
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23:38 |
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US Navy ships accused of "snooping" |
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Fars news agency in Iran, a semi-official outlet, took a much less conciliatory tone to describe the incident, accusing the US Navy ships of of "snooping" in Iranian waters. It said that the sailors had been "arrested" after the boats had travelled more than a mile into Iranian waters and that they had been armed. The Revolutionary Guard had seized GPS equipment that would "prove that the American ships where ‘snooping’ around in Iranian waters," it said. |
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23:15 |
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Farsi Island |
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23:09
Truman carrier group remains in the vicinity
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23:04 |
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Jeb Bush says Barack Obama weak on Iran |
Jeb Bush is the next Republican presidential candidate to weigh in. |
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22:58 |
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Sailors won't be released tonight |
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Reuters is reporting that American officials have told them that sailors held in Iran are unlikely to be released tonight. Remember it took two weeks for British Navy personnel to be released in 2007 |
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22:51 |
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US sailors 'being afforded proper courtesy' |
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This from David Lawler who is in Washington waiting for the State of the Union address tonight: Josh Earnest, Barack Obama's spokesman, says the ten sailors have not been harmed. "US officials have been in touch with the Iranians about this situation. This is obviously a situation we are monitoring closely. We've received assurances from the Iranians both that our sailors are safe, that they're being afforded the proper courtesy that you'd expect, and we've also most importantly received assurances that they'll be allowed to consider their journey promptly." He added that the White House was "still learning more about the precise circumstances" of how the sailors ended up in Iranian custody. |
22:45
'White House a hotbed of cold feet'
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22:42 |
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What we know so far |
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22:35 |
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American officials still confident |
And say Iran nuclear deal makes dialogue easier...
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22:31 |
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Republican reaction |
Ben Carson is the first of the presidential candidates to point out the timing of the detention is unfortunate for Barack Obama... |
22:29
Riverine patrol vessels
22:21
Critics will see another sign that Iran nuclear deal isn't working
22:15
Prisoner swap deal?
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22:09 |
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Nine men and one woman |
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US officials saying the crews are made up of 9 men and one woman. |
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22:05 |
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Revolutionary Guard to blame |
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The Iranian Fars news agency is reporting that it is indeed the Revolutionary Guard that is holding the two US naval vessels. So although American officials are confident they have already had assurances that the issue will be resolved fast, the question is whether Iranian hardliners are intent on destabilising relations. |
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21:58 |
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Zarif and Kerry talk |
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Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, has told John Kerry, US Secretary of State, that as many as 10 sailors who ended up in Iranian custody would be allowed to continue their journey promptly, a senior Obama administration official said on condition of anonymity. Mr Kerry and Mr Zarif were two of the main negotiators in the July 14 agreement under which Tehran agreed to restrain its nuclear program in return for relief from economic sanctions. |
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21:50 |
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Attempt to derail US-Iran relations? |
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The question will be whether the US is talking to the right people. Plenty of factors in Iran working to undermine US relations.
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21:48
American officials optimistic
Iran seizes US vessels
Iranian forces seized two US vessels crossing the Persian Gulf it has been claimed, but later gave American officials assurances that the craft and their crews would be returned unharmed.
The Pentagon has said it briefly lost contact with two small Navy craft in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday but has received assurances from Iran that the crew and vessels will be returned safely and promptly.
A Pentagon spokesman said that the boats were moving between Kuwait and Bahrain when the US lost contact with them.
"We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances that the crew and the vessels will be returned promptly," he said
Fox News claimed that they strayed into Iranian waters.
"Earlier Tuesday we lost contact with two small U.S. Naval craft en route from Kuwait to Bahrain," a US defence official told the Reuters news agency.
The White House confirmed that it was aware of the situation and is working to get U.S. personnel returned.
Deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters at the White House the administration was working to resolve the situation and was hopeful about it.
U.S. officials said that the incident happened near Farsi Island, situated in the middle of the Persian Gulf. They say it stemmed from some type of mechanical trouble with one of the boats, causing them to run aground. The troops were then picked up by Iran.
Secretary of State John Kerry, who has forged a personal relationship with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif through three years of nuclear negotiations, called Zarif immediately on learning of the incident, according to a senior U.S. official.
Kerry "personally engaged with Zarif on this issue to try to get to this outcome," the official said.
Kerry learned of the incident around 12:30 p.m. EST as he and Defense Secretary Ash Carter were meeting their Filipino counterparts at the State Department, the official said.
This comes on the heels of an incident in late December when Iran launched a rocket test near U.S. warships and boats passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Fifteen Royal Navy personnel from a training team based in southern Iraq were detained by Iranian authorities in waters dividing Iran from Iraq while delivering a boat from Umm Qsar to Basra.
The crisis lead to a prolonged diplomatic stand-off after Iran claimed that the British sailors were in its territorial waters but the MoD said they were in Iraqi waters.
The 15 servicemen and women captured by Iran left the country on a commercial flight following the theatrical announcement of their release a month after their initial detention.
It is understood they flew home business class and once airborne celebrated their freedom with champagne and laughter.
In 2012 an Iranian warship responded to a distress signal from the US-flagged Maersk Texas, a cargo ship of 500 feet and 14,000 tons, which was besieged by "several pirate boats".
The cargo vessel "was saved by the navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran", Iranian media claimed at the time.
The pirates "fled the scene as soon as they spotted the presence" of the warship. Maersk Texas "thanked the Iranian navy and sailed towards its destination safely," it added.
It was the first time the Iranian navy protected a US ship from pirates.
Maersk had sailed from the UAE port of Fujairah, south of the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance of the Gulf, and was headed for the United States.
More follows.