Alwaght-Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC, have seized two of the United States Navy boats and arrested ten marines after entering the country’s waters.
Reports say IRGC naval forces seized the US Navy boats two kilometers inside Iranian territorial waters while they were prying around.
According to official Sepah News, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy forces seized the boats on Tuesday afternoon in Iran's Persian Gulf territorial waters..
The website added that the US Navy marines, who possessed heavy weapons, are safe and well.
It said France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier was near the seized U.S. boats. Meanwhile, US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, has confirmed that two of the United States Navy boats are in Iran’s custody after entering the country’s waters and the crews will be returned "promptly."
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook claimed on Tuesday tha he has been in contact with Iran and rested assured that they will be returned.
"We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances that the crew and the vessels will be returned promptly," said the spokesman.
The boats were said to have been moving between Kuwait and Bahrain for a training mission and were captured near Farsi Island.
US Secretary of State John Kerry also contacted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif upon learning the matter.
Kerry "personally engaged with Zarif on this issue to try to get to this outcome," an official said.
Ten US Navy sailors manning the crafts were said to be in Iran’s custody.
“Some type of mechanical trouble with one of the boats” was mentioned in the AP report as the reason for drifting in to the Iranian waters; therefore, the troops were “picked up” by Iranian forces, who transferred them to the nearby island, where they remained at least for some time.
The White House also said it was aware of the matter with deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes saying that the administration was working to resolve the situation.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest appeared on CNN, where he echoed Cook’s comments.
"We have received assurances from the Iranians that our sailors are safe and that they will be allowed to continue their journey promptly," Earnest said.
They were on board two riverine patrol boats, one of the officials said. Riverine boats are 38-foot long, high-speed patrol boats used by the U.S. Navy and Marines to patrol rivers and littoral waters.
In March 2007, IRGC naval forces captured 15 British Royal Navy marines and sailors who violated Iran’s territorial waters in a military boat from HMS Cornwall.
They were released after 13 days in an incident described as “one of the biggest embarrassments to befall the British Navy.
