Iran seizes Saudi fishing vessels

Iran’s coastguard has reportedly detained two Saudi fishing vessels after they illegally entered Iranian waters to fish.  The detained crew are said to be Indian nationals.

Iran seizes Saudi fishing vessels -Fars news agency

Jan 8 (Reuters) – Iran’s coast guard has detained two Saudi fishing vessels after they entered Iranian waters, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday.

Separated by about 250 km (150 miles) of Gulf waters, Shi’ite Muslim power Iran and Sunni Muslim-led Saudi Arabia have often had tense relations. Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, has accused Iran of fomenting unrest among Shi’ites in its oil-rich Eastern Province, a charge Iran denies.

Fars did not give a date or location for the incident but said it was reported by Qalandar Lashkari, the coast guard commander at Bushehr, which is both a province and a port town on Iran’s Gulf coast. It is also the site of the only nuclear power station in the Islamic Republic.

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Source: Reuters, written by William Maclean.