Washington: United States (US) officials said on Tuesday that two US Navy boats were taken into Iranian custody but Iran has told the United States that the crews will be returned “promptly”. The officials also said, ““Earlier today, we lost contact with two small US naval craft en route from Kuwait to Bahrain. We subsequently have been in communication with Iranian authorities, who have informed us of the safety and well-being of our personnel. We have received assurances the sailors will promptly be allowed to continue their journey”, speaking on condition of anonymity.

By another US officials, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif assured US Secretary of State John Kerry that the US sailors would be allowed to continue their journey promptly. The two craft were manned by a total of 10 US Navy sailors, by defense officials. Meanwhile, the White House said that it was aware of the situation in which two Navy boats were held in Iranian custody and is working to get US personnel returned.

Deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters at the White House the administration was working to resolve the situation and was hopeful about it. The US craft patrolling the Gulf were somehow disabled and drifted into Iranian territorial waters at which point they were detailed by Iranian Revolutionary Guards and taken to Farsi Island in the middle of the Gulf, Fox News reported.