Iranian state TV airs footage of a captured U.S. sailor in tears

On Wednesday, Iranian state television aired previously unseen footage of the U.S. Navy crew members detained by Iranian authorities last month. In one of the video's segments, an unidentified sailor appears to be crying, red-eyed and seemingly wiping away tears with a tissue.

The footage was reportedly shot during the 16-hour period on Jan. 12 when 10 sailors were detained after two small U.S. navy boats allegedly drifted into Iranian territory. The Pentagon says that one of the boats was experiencing mechanical problems.

While previously released photos of the sailors showed them on their knees with their hands behind their heads, Secretary of State John Kerry and the Obama administration had thanked Iran for its "quick and appropriate response" and for providing the soldiers with "blankets and food and... their return to the fleet." The sailors' release was largely celebrated as a diplomatic victory.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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

However, The Washington Post reports, this new footage suggests that, despite being released unharmed the next day, the captured sailors' experience was "still stressful."

Watch the footage below. Becca Stanek