Iran‘s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had freed the sailors after determining they had entered Iranian territorial waters by mistake.

„Our technical investigations showed the two U.S. Navy boats entered Iranian territorial waters inadvertently,“ the IRGC said in a statement carried by state television. „They were released in international waters after they apologised,“ it added. Confirming the sailors‘ safe release, the Pentagon said there were no indications they were harmed while in Iranian custody.