How crisis was averted: Iran freed US sailors, with only their pride hurt, amid intense diplomacy

Secretary of State John Kerry spoke at least five times Tuesday by telephone with his Iranian counterpart in intense diplomacy that led to the release Wednesday morning of 10 American sailors who were picked up and detained overnight when their small ships strayed into Iranian waters the day before.

Rapid resolution of the incident appeared to end a potential flash point just as Iran and world powers moved toward implementation of a nuclear deal expected within the next few days.

Kerry thanked Iran for co-operating in the release. “All indications are they were well taken care of, provided blankets and food,” Kerry said. “It is clear that today this kind of issue was able to be peacefully resolved, and efficiently resolved, and that is a testament to the critical role diplomacy plays in keeping our country safe, secure and strong.”

In his initial call with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif early Tuesday afternoon, Kerry was assured that the sailors would quickly be set free, said a senior State Department official on condition of anonymity set by the Department. Their last call, to confirm the release, took place late at night, following US President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.

The official attributed resolution of the incident to the “very direct line of communication at a senior level” that was established during the nuclear negotiations.

Three years ago, before talks between the two countries started, the official said, “it undoubtedly would have been much more complicated to unwind, with the risk of all sorts of ancillary events that would have been unpredictable.”