Initial reports claim that Iran has seized a US cargo ship, but according to the Pentagon, the ship was not American and no Americans were aboard. Fox News reports that the ship is from Denmark.
Iranian Navy vessels fired shots at and boarded a Marshall Islands-flagged commercial container ship in the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday, a senior defense official told Fox News.
The Maersk Tigris ship — originally heading to Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, is now being escorted by the Iranian Navy into waters near Bandar Abbas, home of Iran’s largest Navy base.
The USS Farragut, a guided missile destroyer, is making “best speed” en route to the area and has dispatched a helicopter to get a closer look, the official said.
Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said the cargo ship’s master had initially refused an Iranian order to move further into Iranian waters, but after the warning shots were fired the Maersk Tigris complied.
The cargo ship, which had more than 30 people aboard, was directed to waters near Larak Island, he said.
The Iranian vessels, numbering five or six, were with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Warren said.
Related Image
The position of the Maersk Tigris Monday while being escorted by the Iranian Navy. (MarineTraffic.com)
“It is inappropriate” for the Iranians to have fired warning shots across the ship’s bridge in those circumstances, Warren said, adding that it was too early to know whether the Iranian intervention amounted to a violation of the freedom of navigation through a waterway heavily used by international shipping.
The spokesman said the U.S. government has “certain obligations” to defend the interests of the Marshall Islands, but he was uncertain how those obligations apply in this situation.
Warren said no one has been injured and no Americans are involved. The cargo ship issued a distress call and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, based in the area.
A Maersk spokesman told Fox News that although Maersk, a Danish company based in Copenhagen, owns the vessel, it had “chartered” the ship to Rickmers Ship Management based in Hamburg, Germany. Maersk said it had no information about the crew or the cargo
Also most iranians truly do denounce islam or practice it in moderation.
Also now i understand why black americans dump trash on you people who have no common sense and only relay what you see on fox news
Was it really a cargo ship though?
Time to blow EVERY one of their vessels out of the water until the ship and crew are released. Too bad obozo doesn’t have the guts to make a move on his brethren.
Two choices, let the ship and crew go, or we’ll destroy every Iranian ship we find
Don’t watch too much Hollywood action movies.
Barbary Pirates again?
Barbarism is killing innocent black people just because of the color of their skin.
One step over the line sweet Jesus one step over the line! Whats this?
He’s obviously trolling. Get a job josh you’ll be tired at the end of the day.
trolling. you guys answered my comment..i do work, thank you. but now i want you to explain exactly how it makes sense to contribute to a society designed to collapse on itself. made to be ensure destruction. explain the logic behind that
Iran needs to be taught a painful lesson
IRAN IS NOW A PROXY OF THE USA….