© Tasnim
US Marines whose boats were seized by IRGC forces after trespassing in Iran's territorial waters.
The ten US Marines who had trespassed on Iran's territorial waters and had been taken into Iranian custody have been released after Americans apologized for the incident. The Public Relations Office of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced the release on Wednesday.
The statement read, "Following the illegal and unpermitted entry of two American Navy vessels into the Islamic Republic of Iran's territorial waters near Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf on the evening of the previous day, the vessels stopped, obeying a warning by IRGC vessels, and their crewmembers, who comprised nine male Marines and one female Marine, were placed under arrest."
It added,
"After technical and operational examinations done in interaction with the country's relevant political and national security authorities and the establishment of the inadvertent and unintentional nature of the entry by the American Navy crafts and their apology, a decision was made to free them."
The statement said the Americans had pledged not to repeat the mistake, adding, "...the arrested American Marines were released into international waters under IRGC Navy vessels' watch." Meanwhile, an unidentified US official confirmed to the CNN that the 10 Marines had been released and boarded US missile cruiser, USS
Anzio.
Comment: Cooler heads prevailed. This could have been a much bigger "deal" breaker.