The State Department argued Thursday that Geneva Convention protocols relating to the treatment of prisoners do not apply in the case of the U.S. sailors detained by Iran because the United States and Iran are not at war.
Questions have been raised about whether Iran violated Geneva Convention rules that say countries cannot use videos or pictures of prisoners as propaganda, since Iran released video showing U.S. sailors on the knees surrendering to Iran’s military. But State Department spokesman John Kirby said those rules don’t apply here.
“The Geneva Convention applies to wartime, we’re not at war with Iran,” Kirby said. “So, it’s a moot question.”
“I don’t know if it needs to be applied. I’m not a lawyer, but it’s very clear, if you read the conventions, they are for wartime, and we’re not at war with Iran,” Kirby said.
Kirby was then asked about the “proxy wars” the United States is seen as waging against Iran in Yemen, Syria and Iraq. “We’re not at war with Iran,” Kirby responded.
Kirby also said Thursday that the U.S. government has not yet determined whether the sailors were abused by Iran in any way, or if the videos of U.S. sailors apologizing were in any way coerced.
“Nobody likes to see that video,” Kirby said. “I’m sure the Navy is not enjoying watching it, but let [the Navy] work through this, and figure out what happened, and then we’ll go from there.”
