Iranian media — Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Agency and Tasnim News Agency — published at least 12 photos and three 30-second videos. Controversy explodes over Iranian images of U.S. sailors Sen. McCain calls Kerry's remarks about the good treatment of the sailors 'unbelievable'

Iran on Wednesday released a series of images and videos showing the 10 U.S. Navy sailors it apprehended Tuesday, inflaming the American debate over their capture, including the question of whether the U.S. had formally apologized for entering Iranian territory.

Iranian media — Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Agency, Tasnim News Agency and the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network — published roughly two-dozen photos and five videos, two of which feature a male sailor apologizing and praising Iran’s treatment.


“It was a mistake that was our fault, and we apologize for our mistake,” the man says in one video.

“The Iranian behavior was fantastic while we were here and we thank you very much for your hospitality and your assistance,” he says in another. “We had no problems here.”

Vice President Joe Biden had told CBS earlier that there was no apology and that there was "nothing to apologize for."

"When you have a problem with the boat you apologize the boat had a problem? No, and there was no looking for any apology. This was just standard nautical practice," he told "CBS This Morning."

The pictures include shots of the two small Navy vessels that drifted into Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf after experiencing mechanical problems, as well the seizure of the sailors and their detainment.

The Navy confirmed that the sailors — nine men and one woman — were safely released on Wednesday, saying in a statement, "There are no indications that the sailors were harmed during their brief detention."

Secretary of State John Kerry, meanwhile, thanked Iran on Wednesday for its “quick,” “appropriate” response, noting that the sailors were “well taken care of.”

“All indications suggest, or tell us, that our sailors were well taken care of, provided with blankets and food and assisted with their return to the fleet earlier today,” he said. “And I think we can all imagine how a similar situation might have played out three or four years ago. In fact, it is clear that today this kind of issue that was able to be peacefully resolved and efficiently resolved, and that is a testament to the critical role that diplomacy plays in keeping our country safe, secure and strong.”

Arizona Sen. John McCain blasted Kerry’s “unbelievable” remarks, posting images of the detained sailors aboard a riverine command boat that he suggested contradicted Kerry’s sentiment that the servicemen were “well taken care of.”

Sec @JohnKerry says US sailors were "well taken care of" & #Iran releases these photos - unbelievable pic.twitter.com/nR0gCNFQtt — John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) January 13, 2016

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie agreed, calling Kerry’s comment “ridiculous” in a retweet of McCain’s post. “Continues to prove my point that this administration lives in a fantasy land,” he added.

And Florida Sen. Marco Rubio expressed his disgust and anger with the images at a campaign stop in South Carolina, calling it another reason to cancel the nuclear agreement with Iran on his first day in office.

"By the way, I don’t know if you saw these images—they are really horrifying, and it really made me really angry this morning to see. American sailors, on their knees, hands behind their head, a female sailor forced to wear a headscarf, penned up in a jail cell. You know why these things happen?" he asked. "Because they know they can get away with it with Barack Obama in office. They know they can humiliate us. Now, look, this is not what you do."

If Iranians had been acting in good faith, Rubio suggested, they would have returned the sailors immediately and without incident.

"Here’s what they wouldn’t have done: taken pictures of them, taken video of them, put it up on Iranian TV to show people, look how we’re bringing America and humiliating them," he continued. "That is why on my first day in office, in that Oval Office, I am going to cancel this ridiculous deal he has cut with Iran."

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said on Wednesday afternoon that Iran's release of the soldiers “underscores the importance of the diplomatic lines of communication between” Kerry and his Iranian counterpart. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Earnest added, “We’re still trying to learn more about how exactly that all happened."

One still photo, published by IRIB News, shows nine of the sailors aboard the craft sitting on their knees with their hands behind their heads. A tighter shot shows just five in the same position.

Pictures published by #Iran state TV from the moment #US marine were arrested. pic.twitter.com/bcEKaJGPb9 — Abas Aslani (@abasinfo) January 13, 2016

Iranian media also released images of Iranian authorities seemingly inspecting weapons...

#BREAKING: New photos show moment of arresting 2 US boats, 10 on board by IRGC pic.twitter.com/yNhai2YTPU — Sobhan Hassanvand (@Hassanvand) January 13, 2016

...and multiple images of the Navy crew sitting down in what appears to be a detention facility, where the sailors appear without any shoes but are each supplied a pillow.

Tasnim news releases images of US navy crew in Iranian custody before they were released: pic.twitter.com/o9fybC89DQ — Saeed Kamali Dehghan (@SaeedKD) January 13, 2016

Iranian media later Wednesday also released video footage of the capture and detainment, as well interviews with the one male sailor. One clip shows the sailors eating kebabs while in detention:

Another shows Iranian authorities inspecting the Navy vessels and weaponry.

But the photos and videos violate articles 13 and 17 of the Geneva Convention, according to Michael Pregent, an adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute and retired military officer.

“You’re not supposed to take photos to be used in propaganda media,” Pregent told POLITICO in a phone interview Wednesday. “You look at what they released this morning. They have a video of them boarding the ship, Americans on their knees with their hands behind their head, videotaping them as if that’s amusing. That’s a violation of the Geneva Convention.”

By releasing media that makes the sailors identifiable, Pregent added, Iran again violated the Geneva Convention, the international series of treaties setting a standard for treatment of civilians, prisoners of war and soldiers who are unable to fight.

“In this case, the sailors weren’t necessarily prisoners of war, but they were detained, and when you detain uniformed military you have to treat them a certain way, and Iran’s in violation of that,” said Pregent, who noted his opposition to the Obama administration’s Iran deal. “It’s just making a point that this actually did warrant an apology from Iran. This wasn’t just a simple rescue of distressed American sailors after their ship broke down.”

Nick Gass contributed to this report.

This article tagged under: Navy

Iran

Foreign Policy