A medal given to war heroes? They don’t seem to realize that a lasting peace has been achieved. How very strange! Surely Barack Obama and John Kerry couldn’t be misleading us, could they?
“Iran gives medals for capture of U.S. sailors,” Reuters, January 31, 2016:
Iran’s supreme leader has awarded medals to navy commanders for capturing U.S. sailors who entered Iranian territorial waters this month, Iran’s state media said on Sunday.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has said Iran should remain wary of its arch-enemy the United States even after a landmark accord over Tehran’s nuclear program, awarded the Fath (Victory) medal to the head of the navy of the Revolutionary Guards and four commanders involved in the seizure of two U.S. Navy boats.
Iran has awarded the Fath medal since 1989 to war heroes, military commanders and politicians, especially those linked to the eight-year Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
Iran freed the ten U.S. sailors on Jan. 13, a day after detaining them aboard the two U.S. Navy patrol boats in the Gulf, bringing a swift end to an incident that had rattled nerves shortly before the expected implementation of the nuclear accord with world powers.
The Revolutionary Guardss [sic] said it had determined the patrol boats had entered Iranian territorial waters by mistake….

Mark says
This is more then we were told. IDK what but this is no fuck up and this in your face by iran is pissing me off but only because we don’t know what our people where doing there
Saleem Smith says
The Iranian Shia Muslims are ready and willing to kill the Sunni Muslims and vise versa for their disbelief in true Islam. But what is true Islam? The hatred and subjugation of non-Muslims found in the Quran and Mohammed’s evil Sunnah?
Karl S. says
In actuality, it’s about which man–Muhammad’s son-in-law or his cousin–is the rightful successor to Muhammad. Sunnis and Shias disagree to put it mildly.
Bezelel says
According to kerry it was no big deal. Does he have to change his story now? Would iran waste some medals on a good Samaritan mission? The whole episode stinks.
mortimer says
Apparently, Iran’s fascist theocracy considers relations with the USA to be ‘A WAR’.
This is the damnedest ‘cold war’…and rather to close to a shooting war.
Bezelel says
With hussein obola at the helm the iranians are winning the war without firing a shot.
Angemon says
I’m going to play devil’s advocate on this one: it’s not known who the next American President will be, and the mullahs know that, if a Republican is elected, they won’t get away with doing 1/1000th of the crap they pull with Obama. Think of little kids trying to squeeze the most fun they can get out of the last day of Summer vacation – if it came to war they don’t stand a chance, and they know it, and they also know that Obama is a pushover, so they need to over-glorify anything that can be spun as a victory.
Don McKellar says
I’m pretty sure that the pressure is on internally to get away with as much as they can this year for exactly the reason you state. And no doubt the cuddly Islamic State and friends crowd thinks about this a lot, too. Islamic supremacists of all stripe will be in big trouble once any Republican gets in, and they will be dead meat if Trump gets in. That’s why the Saudis and the rest are putting big money and big effort into trying to derail Trump and the rest and promote their choice Hillary. I’m sure they’d be thrilled to have that old fool Berni in there, too. He’d be a joke to deal with, but not as cooperative as Hillary.
JMB says
Exactly, if there was not so much a a hint that Trump may be the next US president those sailors would still be captives.
Don McKellar says
The eternal war of Islam against the unbelievers, I guess? That must be the war they’re referring to.
nacazo says
This is like Orwell’s novel 1984: War is peace. Love is fear.
gravenimage says
Iran awards medal given to war heroes for capture of U.S. sailors
……………………….
If this was–as so many Westerners are desperate to believe–just the Iranians “helping out” an American boat that had lost engine power, then why the military medal? This is all bs.
That American sailors were ever ordered to stand down to these barbarians–as must be the case–is just appalling.
Vae Victis says
Let me get this story straight.
These heroes took on the might of the US Navy with a few speed boats armed with AK47 and maybe an RPG or two. They bought the American sailors to their knees, made them cry.
Nothing suspect here?
No wonder they are giving them medals.
Baucent says
All makes Mr Kerry look rather silly. While he is shaking hands with his new “friends” they are pissing on his leg.
Shmooviyet says
Can’t say he wouldn’t deserve it— he and Boss BO have shivved too many American military in the same spot.
Interesting, watching the increasing shows of Iranian arrogance– like hairy, underground-dwelling spiders or beetles who’ve received the ‘all clear’.
Mark Swan says
Good One
Victor Redlick says
I thought one of the WH versions was that Iran claimed it had rescued the off course US vessel. And for that a pathetic Obama begged them to accept $150 billion as an apology for insulting his Muslims brethren? What has to happen to Obama? .. have John Kerry land on his head with his stupid bicycle in the middle of a putt?
islam :- the religion of leaching says
I just don’t get this, two powerful and I’d expect bristling with comms gear & nav gear, plus they will be monitored all the way by other capable assets in the area, one breaks down (they claimed) 1 nautical mile inside Iranian waters … ??
Folks thats 1700 metres and there were two of them, why didn’t the “not broken down one” just tow the other to international waters,,,, you could tow a small craft with a helicopter if you had to, !!
We have all seen pictures of heavy lift helicopters … surely other assets in the area could have done something ….
I think this is just a political exercise, I can’t think why, but the technical of what went down prior to “the capture” is just too unexplainable …
And to make hero’s of the idiots in fizz boats that pulled up alongside, and “arrested” our marines is shear stupidity,,
I think the Iranians were baited intentionally ………….
Carolyne says
I don’t know why the Iranians did this and I don’t know what our personnel were doing in Iranian waters, if not in their waters, at least very close. I do know this though. If I were President, the minute our sailors were safe from the barbarians, I would destroy both boats which captured them or two others like them. Each action by Iran would be met with an equal reaction.
Dom107 says
I think they were outnumbered by Iranian ships and the politics also wouldn’t allow that.That’s why they were released.so quickly !???
Custos Custodum says
LISTENING to the American commander responding to Iranian questions and voicing an apology, one is struck by his demeanor which seemed unnaturally calm and neutral even for a well-trained military officer.
The commander does not seem to evince any feeling of embarrassment or regret towards the Iranians, as of course he shouldn’t.
Much more perplexing is the fact that he commander seems almost nonchalant and wholly unconcerned, offering his words of apology seemingly without a care in the world. Somebody who is potentially looking at time in Leavenworth for contravening direct orders (not to stumble into Iranian territory and not to apologize to Iran) would not be so nonchalant.
If these – admittedly somewhat subjective – observations and deductions are correct, one must conclude either that the entire operation was pre-planned by the U.S. for some purpose, and the commander was given advance blanket authorization to “apologize.” Alternatively, the commander may well have been permitted by the Iranians to communicate with the U.S. government and was at that time expressly ordered to offer an apology to the Iranians.
For the avoidance of doubt, it should be stated that the commander would be entirely blameless in either case and quite possibly deserving of praise for carrying out an operation that may have been justified based on some “big picture” considerations (however nebulous).
Since the scenarios offered in support of the official “mishap” theory seem wholly incredible, one is forced to conclude either that the entire spectacle was staged for theatrical/propaganda effect; or that the official story hides some other operation that is deemed unfit for public consumption, for good or bad reasons.
Nobody with the slightest understanding of navigation and military/naval procedures would believe that that two separatee naval vessels would independently but simultaneously and in IDENTICAL FASHION mistake navigational readings from MULTIPLE independent systems/methods including (a) visual navigation by reference to landmarks; (b) navigation based on bearings and times (effectively, dead reckoning), (c) radar tracking from other vessels, (d) GPS, (e) radio direction finding from other vessels.
Matthieu Baudin says
If you took away the vitriol and humiliation dished out to all and sundry, what would be left of the diplomatic finesse of the Islamic Republic of Iran?
Mathew Solo says
The people who live in the Middle East Countries need the Strong Man rule and what have We done…helped remove some of them and left what will prove to be the very worst volatile mess.
I remember Saddam Hussein…as doing what it took to keep Iraq under control…keeping Iran in check…His waving the expensive shotgun on the balcony of one of his mansions in His western suit…nostalgic…it beats remembering Him hanging at the end of a Shia rope.
We were warned from many wise friends and enemies in the world…don’t…getting into Iraq will be much easier than getting out of it…We would fail to manage post-Saddam Hussein Iraq successfully…with the result that it would fracture into two or three pieces…to the detriment of the entire Middle East and the benefit of Iran.
They were correct and now Saudi Arabia who has always been a snake in the grass…is influencing what is left of the Arab peoples that we wasted so many years and so much effort courting.
I remember Hussein….Mubarak…Gaddafi…al-Assad…they applied the one thing everyone in that part of the world agrees on…overwhelming force.
America had better focus real hard on rebuilding quickly…our economy…military…
and social values…our True Alliances that are flapping in the wind…or the wolf will be at the door.
We don’t have time for Islamism or Progressivism…Multiculturalism…
just Nationalism and Now…( patriotism: proud loyalty and devotion to a nation )…
No More Hyphenated Americans.
Champ says
Once again Iran reveals it’s *true* intention to bring down America …never happen though.
Michael Mazur says
Perhaps Iran ought to send a frigate over to the Gulf of Mexico ?
International waters. Right ?