Navy: One Seized Boat Had Engine Trouble

One of two Riverine Command Boats experienced engine trouble, triggering the sequence of events that led to their seizure Jan. 12 by Iranian navy, according to a statement by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. The crews were troubleshooting the problem and could have been unaware they were no longer in international waters when Iranian vessels approached them, CENCOM stated. The Iranians detained U.S. sailors and held them for about 15 hours, before releasing them unharmed in their vessels. The report indicated that the Iranians kept two handheld telephones and two SIM cards.