The Iranian government Wednesday released a video of one of the 10 sailors captured off Farsi Island on Tuesday apologizing for the two U.S. boats drifting into the Persian Gulf.
"It was a mistake that was our fault," the sailor said, The New York Daily News reports. "And we apologize for our mistake."
The Navy personnel, nine men and one woman, were captured by members of the Iranian National Guard and held overnight — just hours before President Barack Obama delivered his final State of the Union address.
The president did not mention the incident in his address, though he praised his administration's work on the Iran nuclear deal.
Iran released the sailors earlier Wednesday — and Secretary of State John Kerry thanked Tehran for resolving the dispute "peacefully and efficiently."
"I want to express my gratitude to Iranian authorities for their cooperation in swiftly resolving this matter," Kerry said.
The sailor's apology came despite Vice President Joe Biden saying that the U.S. government offered no apology nor did Iran seek one,
Mediaite reports.
"One of the boats had engine failure and drifted into Iranian waters," Biden told CBS This Morning. "The Iranians picked up both boats, as we have picked up Iranian boats that needed to be rescued."
He said that Iran "realized they were there and distressed, and said they would release them, and they released them like ordinary nations would do.
"That is the way nations should do it, and that is why it's important should have channels open," Biden said.
When co-host Charlie Rose asked whether the U.S. should apologize to Tehran, Biden said "no."
"When you have a problem with a boat, do you apologize that the boat had problems? There is no looking for an apology. This was standard and nautical practice."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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