Iran Safely Releases All 10 Captured U.S. Sailors

Iran has safely released all 10 U.S. sailors on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the country detained them on Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf.

The sailors - nine men and one woman - were allowed to leave after Iran concluded that the two small U.S. navy vessels had unintentionally drifted into Iranian waters. The U.S. reportedly explained to Iran that the one of the two boats was dealing with mechanical issues when it diverted from its route to Bahrain. The other boat had refused to leave the sailors behind.

"The evidence suggests that they unintentionally entered the Iranian waters because of the failure of their navigational system," spokesman for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ramazan Sharif, said.

The IRGC's statement added, according to CNN, the release was scheduled "after they [the Americans] extended an apology."

After the statement surfaced, John Kirby, the spokesman for the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, clarified that Kerry did not apologize to Iran. Instead, he had expressed his gratitude toward the Iranians for resolving the issue quickly and peacefully.

Kirby's statement said, "There is no truth in reporting that Secretary Kerry apologized to the Iranians. As the Secretary said in his statement this morning, he expressed gratitude to Iranian authorities for their cooperation in swiftly resolving this matter, and noted that the peaceful and efficient resolution of this issue is a testament to the critical role diplomacy plays in keeping our country safe, secure, and strong."

The U.S. defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter, thanked Kerry "for his diplomatic engagement with Iran to secure our sailors' swift return."

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, echoed Kerry's statement. He did not suggest that there was an apology.

Zarif tweeted, "Happy to see dialog and respect, not threats and impetuousness, swiftly resolved the #sailors episode. Let's learn from this latest example."

The improved relationship between American and Iran was also noted by journalist Nader Karimi Jonik, who used to serve in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Jonik stated per The New York Times, "The top leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran is not looking for any tension with America... things have changed. Both sides, America and Iran, are in direct contact and they seek détente. Currently there is no need for anti-Americanism."

The release of the sailors was announced by Iranian news channel, IRINN before 10 a.m. The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain stated that there was no evidence that the sailors had been harmed. The Navy added that it would also be investigating "the circumstances to the sailor's presence in Iran."

The sailors will be headed to an American military facility in Qatar to be debriefed. They will also undergo medical exams.