US navy rescues crew of Iranian fishing vessel

Jan 19, 2012, 13:06 GMT

Manama - The US Navy said on Thursday it had launched a rescue operation to help the crew of a sinking Iranian fishing vessel in the Gulf, the third such operation this month.

A Seahawk helicopter from the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey spotted the Al Mamsoor vessel with one crew member abroad on Wednesday, the navy said in a statement. A navy vessel towed it to two other fishing boats in the area.

'Once we talked with their captain, it was clear that they needed food and water,' said Lieutenant Jason Dawson.

The navy said the Al Mamsoor crew had battled flooding for three days before abandoning their vessel. The US Navy provided them with 68 kilograms of food.

On January 5, a US Navy destroyer rescued fishermen on an Iranian boat held captive by pirates in the Gulf.

On January 10, a US coast guard ship rescued six Iranians from their distressed cargo ship in the Gulf.

The rescues come despite rising tensions between the United States and Iran over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme and its threat to block the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic oil-shipping waterway in the Gulf.

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