And the question that needs to be asked is why?
Maybe the Iranians were smuggling in drugs and US Attorney gave them immunity to testify against soldiers? Then the soldiers could be thrown in jail like our border agents.
Give them a shot of a sterile saline solution, then inform them that we’ve implanted a microscopic tracking chip, and if they ever set foot in Iraq, we will know immediately. Their superiors will probably vivisect them looking for something that was never there to begin with.
We snagged them from the hotel, let them go, then claim a ficticious roadblock, even as the video makes the rounds.
We’re lying to Iran, in such a way that they know it, and we know they know it, which is the usual diplomatic way of saying “F.O.”
A message is being sent.
I can’t tell what the message is, because I don’t have the full context. Same goes for the message’s intended recipient.
I suspect the recipient gets the message, it’d would have to be clear and easy to follow, or else it’s not worth the trouble to send, especially in this case.
That’s about as far as I can take it. Message sent, tone clear.