There is something fishy about the U.S. government's story about the Iran naval incident


On Tuesday, two U.S. naval vessels were detained by Iran for trespassing in Iranian territorial waters. The original story from the U.S. government suggested that there had been a mechanical failure on one of the boats and, in the words of Joe Biden, it had then "drifted into Iranian waters," where it was detained.
The Intercept is raising a question as to the truthfulness of such a statement, especially now that the United States has changed its story. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Friday morning that the sailors had actually made a "navigational error" that took them into Iran's waters. The Intercept writes:
It is, of course, theoretically possible that this newest rendition of events is what happened. But there are multiple reasons to suspect otherwise. To begin with, U.S. sailors frequently travel between Bahrain and Kuwait, two key U.S. allies, the former of which hosts the Fifth Fleet headquarters; this was familiar waters.Moreover, at no point did either of the ships notify anyone that they had inadvertently "misnavigated" into Iranian territorial waters, a significant enough event that would warrant some sort of radio or other notification. [The Intercept]
"What we know for certain is that the storyline of 'mechanical failure' and 'poor U.S. boat in distress' that was originally propagated [...] was complete fiction," The Intercept concludes. Read their full analysis of the event here.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Meta on trial: What will become of Mark Zuckerberg's social media empire?
Today's Big Question Despite the CEO's attempt to ingratiate himself with Trump, Meta is on trial, accused by the U.S. government of breaking antitrust law
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Is the American dream still in reach?
In Depth Generations of immigrants have come to America seeking a better life. Can they still do so?
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Val Kilmer: the actor who played Iceman and Batman
Feature Kilmer died at age 65 from pneumonia
By The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump says electronics tariff break won't last
Speed Read The tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are temporary, the administration says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Man charged in arson attack on Pennsylvania's Shapiro
Speed Read Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping when someone set fire to his Harrisburg mansion
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
White House pushes for oversight of Columbia University
Speed Read The Trump administration is considering placing the school under a consent decree
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Supreme Court backs wrongly deported migrant
Speed Read The Trump administration must 'facilitate' the return of wrongfully deported migrant Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador, Supreme Court says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Two judges bar war-powers deportations
Speed Read The Trump administration was blocked from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport more alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump pauses some tariffs but ramps up China tax
Speed Read The president suspended most 'reciprocal' tariffs for 90 days and raised his tariffs for China to 125%
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Ukraine nabs first Chinese troops in Russia war
Speed Read Ukraine claims to have f two Chinese men fighting for Russia
By Peter Weber, The Week US