US Rescues Iranian Vessel

The US State Department has acknowledged a report from the US Navy that American forces based on the destroyer USS Kidd have rescued an Iranian fishing boat from suspected Somali pirates.

Responding to a distress call from the Iranian ship the Al Molai, a US Navy team boarded the vessel and arrested a group of 15 suspected pirates. The 13 Iranian crewmembers had been held hostage for over 40 days while the vessel was used as a ‘mother ship’ in the Gulf.

The rescue operation comes amid escalating threats from Tehran that in protest to stronger economic sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear enrichment program it could block the Strait of Hormuz.

The State Department has congratulated the US Navy for “upholding international law and rescuing Iranian sailors from pirates“.