Ten U.S. sailors were released from Iranian custody on Wednesday, resolving a diplomatic incident a day after their vessels strayed into Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf. Their quick release—in contrast to the days-long, public humiliation of British service members captured by Iran in similar situations in 2004 and 2007—precluded a serious crisis, and even suggested the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran may have facilitated a friendlier era in U.S.-Iranian relations.
But the U.S. should have done it all differently anyway, according to certain critics.
Hey Iran, you have exactly 300 days left to push a US president around. Enjoy it while you can. After that, there will be hell to pay.
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) January 12, 2016I know they've been released. Obama should now strike @HassanRouhani palace into rubble https://t.co/4JAzCEwxrG
— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) January 13, 2016Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, meanwhile, sounded a different note:
Happy to see dialog and respect, not threats and impetuousness, swiftly resolved the #sailors episode. Let’s learn from this latest example.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 13, 2016