TEHRAN, Iran (TheBlaze/AP) — Footage of Iran’s arrest of 10 U.S. Navy sailors and the takeover of the two boats has been released by Iran state television. In the footage, the sailors are seen on their knees with their hands behind their heads.
The sailors and their boats were apprehended by Iran after the boats allegedly drifted into Iranian territorial waters around one of Iran’s Persian Gulf islands. The sailors, captured on Tuesday, have been freed as of Wednesday.
The sailors’ swift release quickly diffused what could have escalated into an international crisis days before Iran is expected to meet the terms of last summer’s nuclear deal with world powers. The deal gives Iran significant relief from painful economic sanctions.
https://twitter.com/Hassanvand/status/687296109484572672/video/1
The nine men and one woman were held at an Iranian base on Farsi Island after they were detained nearby on Tuesday. The tiny outpost has been used as a base for Revolutionary Guard speedboats as far back as the 1980s.
The sailors were picked up by Navy aircraft following their release as other sailors took control of the two small boats for the return to Bahrain.