Associated Press, NBC News – TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - All 10 U.S. Navy sailors detained by Iran after drifting into its territorial waters a day earlier have been freed, the U.S. and Iran said Wednesday.
Updated Gallery: U.S. sailors, Navy boats released by Iran
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The Navy said the American crewmembers returned safely and there were no indications they had been harmed while in custody.
The nine men and one woman were being held at an Iranian base on Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf after being detained nearby on Tuesday. The tiny outpost has been used as a base for Revolutionary Guard speedboats as far back as the 1980s.
The sailors departed the island at 8:43 a.m. GMT aboard the boats they were detained with, the Navy said. They were picked up by Navy aircraft and other sailors took control of their boats for the return to Bahrain, where the U.S. 5th Fleet is based.
"The Navy will investigate the circumstances that led to the sailors' presence in Iran," the U.S. statement said.