Iran’s supreme leader meets captors of US sailors, hails them as courageous
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with members of the Revolutionary Guards who detained US navy personnel in the Persian Gulf earlier this month and praised them as brave.
“What you did was excellent, interesting and timely and in fact we should see this incident as God’s work who brought the Americans into our waters and have them with their hands on their heads thanks to your quick action,” Khamenei told the Iranian soldiers as reported on the supreme leader’s official website.
On January 12 the Iranian navy of the Revolutionary Guards detained 10 US navy personnel who drifted into Iranian waters due to technical failure on their boat.
The sailors were released the same day after intense diplomatic communication between Tehran and Washington.
US military officials said the sailors were not subjected to any mistreatment during their 24 hours in Iranian custody.
However, Secretary of State John Kerry said he was “angry” with humiliating photos released by Iran later on showing the sailors with their hands on their heads.
“What you did was excellent, interesting and timely and in fact we should see this incident as God’s work who brought the Americans into our waters and have them with their hands on their heads thanks to your quick action,” Khamenei told the Iranian soldiers as reported on the supreme leader’s official website.
On January 12 the Iranian navy of the Revolutionary Guards detained 10 US navy personnel who drifted into Iranian waters due to technical failure on their boat.
The sailors were released the same day after intense diplomatic communication between Tehran and Washington.
US military officials said the sailors were not subjected to any mistreatment during their 24 hours in Iranian custody.
However, Secretary of State John Kerry said he was “angry” with humiliating photos released by Iran later on showing the sailors with their hands on their heads.