(Bloomberg) Josh Rogin and Eli Lake - Even if Iran quickly releases the 10 U.S. military personnel it took custody of, the incident shows that despite a nuclear agreement with the West, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is willing to board U.S. vessels, take American soldiers into custody, and, according to CNN citing U.S. officials, confiscate the crew's communications and GPS equipment. The Iranian state press reported the sailors had been "arrested" for "snooping." It took several hours before the captured sailors were allowed to make contact with their superiors. Former U.S. ambassador to Iraq Jim Jeffrey, now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the Iranians know the Obama administration is committed to preserving the Iran deal above all else and they are using that knowledge to get away with mischief. The incident also shows that the faction of Iran's government - led by President Hassan Rouhani - that negotiated the nuclear deal has little influence over Iran's national security state.
2016-01-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive