Iran has captured two U.S. Navy vessels and at least 10 Navy personnel, according to multiple news reports. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is tweeting about cheese.
The Pentagon and the White House are apparently working to “resolve” the Iranian hostage situation, but have not released any details about what the resolution might look like.
MORE: US officials tell NBC that Iranian forces have seized 10 American sailors, https://t.co/mJjN05iTf6
CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) January 12, 2016
BREAKING: White House says is working to resolve situation with Navy boats in Iranian custody, wants personnel returned to normal deployment
Reuters Top News (@Reuters) January 12, 2016
NBC News reported on Tuesday afternoon that the two Navy ships entered “Iranian-claimed” waters while traveling from Kuwait to Bahrain.
NBC News: 10 US sailors were on training mission when their boat experienced mechanical difficulty and drifted into Iranian-claimed waters
esse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) January 12, 2016
Iran has a long history of threatening U.S. ships in international waters in the region. In 2012, the terrorist regime threatened U.S. ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Washington Post:
Iran escalated its war of words with the United States on Tuesday with a warning to Navy ships to stay out of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, remarks that rattled commodities markets and helped send oil prices soaring.
The latest in a series of provocative statements by Iranian leaders was delivered by the Iranian armed forces commander, Gen. Ataollah Salehi, who appeared to threaten a U.S. aircraft carrier that steamed out of Persian Gulf waters last week.
“We warn this ship, which is considered a threat to us, not to come back, and we do not repeat our words twice,” Salehi said, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency.
The Obama administration brushed aside the threat, but the increasingly bellicose tone — coupled with new economic sanctions on Iran expected to take effect in the coming weeks — helped cause the price of oil to jump more than 4 percent during a day of upbeat economic news. Gold markets closed at their highest level in 10 weeks.
The threat against U.S. ships was the latest in a series of aggressive moves by Iran, which within a week has tested new missiles, boasted of breakthroughs in nuclear technology and vowed to shut down shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for Western sanctions over its nuclear program.
The Iranian capture of U.S. ships and personnel comes just hours before President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver his final State of the Union address, and months after Obama signed a highly controversial nuclear deal–never approved by Congress–that lifted sanctions and sent billions to Iran in exchange for vague assurances that Iran will no longer pursue or develop nuclear weapons. Before the ink on that deal was even dry, Iran violated the agreement by launching a nuclear-capable ballistic missile.
on CNN, Earnest is now saying these new Iranian hostilities is exactly why the Obama WH pursued the nuclear deal w Iran.
Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) January 12, 2016
Earnest on CNN says our guys are receiving "all the proper courtesies you would expect"—when taken hostage by Iran.
Michael Goldfarb (@thegoldfarb) January 12, 2016
It’s okay, though. Everything is under the control. The American government is focusing all its energies on freeing the captured American sailors. Its top diplomat surely isn’t focused on trivial nonsense in the middle of a breaking news story about a terrorist regime once again taking members of the U.S. military hostage. Top men are on the case:
.@HHigginbottom and @ABlinken take part in @WhiteHouse’s #BigBlockOfCheeseDay tomorrow. Send them your toughest #foreignpolicy questions.
John Kerry (@JohnKerry) January 12, 2016
Top. Men.
