White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough speaks to reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor Wednesday.(Photo: Michael Bonfigli, The Christian Science Monitor)
WASHINGTON<span style="color: Red;">*</span>— The White House argued<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Wednesday that<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the quick release of the U.S. sailors detained by in the Persian Gulf validates the recent U.S. engagement with Iran.
“I do think the open lines of communication, which are relatively new, are extraordinarily important — particularly when we have so many interests in such a crowded area in the Persian Gulf," White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told reporters Wednesday at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.
The White House insisted there was no U.S. apology, and that the incident would have no immediate impact on the implementation of an international agreement for Iran to give up any efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest<span style="color: Red;">*</span>defended President Obama's decision not to discuss the short-lived crisis in his State of the Union address. "At the White House, we reached the conclusion that further elevating the situation by including it in the State of the Union address<span style="color: Red;">*</span>would not be the most effective way of securing the release of our sailors," <span style="color: Red;">*</span>he<span style="color: Red;">*</span>told reporters aboard Air Force One.
The outcome, he said, was a "pretty powerful endorsement of that strategy."
Some Republicans had been quick to tie the incident to the president's State of the Union address Tuesday.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., told Fox News that Obama should have included the incident in his speech. "You've got to punch them in the face and say we are the United States," he told Fox News Channel.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"You are not going to arrest sailors in the Persian Gulf."
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said Iran was trying to send a message. "I don't think the timing<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of this intercept of our two<span style="color: Red;">*</span>naval vessels in the Persian Gulf is coincidental," he told CNN. "It's humiliating to Barack Obama and therefore the United States, to have<span style="color: Red;">*</span>American sailors held hostage during his final State of the Union."
And Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., suggested Obama should have delayed his State of the Union to allow time to brief Congress privately.
But the White House said the peaceful resolution of the incident validates their strategy of engagement with Iran.
"Today's outcome is a good reminder that this diplomatic engagement, which has been the target of some criticism, actually does advance the interests of the United States and our national security," Earnest said. "It certainly hasn’t resolved the long list of concerns we have about Iran and its behavior."
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U.S. denies apologizing to Iran over Navy sailor incident
White House officials said they were still working to figure out how the two small naval vessels wandered into Iranian territory, and how the 10 sailors were treated.
McDonough said providing for sailors in distress is particularly important when sailing in “such tight corners in the Persian Gulf, in a relatively shallow body of water.” He said the U.S. Navy has also helped Iranian sailors in distress.
“I’m very proud of that tradition of the U.S. Navy,” he said.
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