A US Navy captain who was in charge of 10 US sailors briefly held by Iran in January has been relieved of command because of a “loss of confidence in his ability to command,” a navy statement said on Friday.
Ten sailors, who were aboard two patrol craft, were detained by the Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps on January 12 when they inadvertently entered Iranian territorial waters. They were released the next day after being held for about 15 hours.
Captain Kyle Moses, commander of Task Force 56, was the second person to be publicly reprimanded so far over the incident. In May, Commander Eric Rasch, who was the executive officer of the coastal riverine squadron that included the 10 sailors, was fired.
Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, said he had taken corrective action against Moses several weeks ago, Reuters reported. “However, after thoroughly examining the findings of the final, comprehensive investigation, I determined that this additional action was necessary.”
Findings of the five-month investigation will be presented by Admiral John Richardson, the chief of US naval operations, at a briefing in the Pentagon on June 30.
