Multiple source are reporting that the Iranian military has fired upon and seized a US cargo ship with 34 sailors on board, according to Saudi Arabian state TV, Iran's Fars News and the Al-Arabya news service.
The vessel has been directed to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on the southern coast, Al-Arabiya has reported.
There is no official US or Iranian confirmation so it remains unclear why or if the ship was actually captured, and whether the shots injured anyone on-board. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency suggested that the ship was trespassing in the Persian Gulf.
A US official told Reuters that there are no indications so far that any US ship is being directed by Iranian forces, not exactly a denial.
Another official says it was a Danish ship sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands and there were no Americans aboard. It was traveling through the Strait of Hormuz on the way to the UAE.
11:21 AM UPDATE Ship Was Not American:
The ship, the MV Maersk Tigris, [see picture above] initially ignored Iranian patrol boats that ordered it deeper into Iranian territorial waters but complied after the vessels fired several warning shots, U.S. Army Colonel Steve Warren said.
U.S. forces in the region responded to distress calls from the Maersk Tigris, sending the destroyer USS Farragut to monitor the situation along with reconnaissance aircraft. No U.S. citizens were aboard the cargo ship, Warren said.
Keep checking back for updates!
1 comment:
The Obama administration will deny this until the evidence is overwhelming.
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