The U.S. Navy says it has led a rescue operation to help the crew of a sinking Iranian fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea -- the third such operation in two weeks.
The navy said in a statement that a Seahawk helicopter from the guided-missile destroyer "USS Dewey" spotted the sinking boat, named "Al Mamsoor," with one crew member aboard on January 18.
Two other crew members had taken refuge on two other fishing boats in the area that had come to help.
A navy vessel towed it to the other two vessels.
The navy said the "Al Mamsoor" crew had struggled with flooding for three days before abandoning the boat. The navy provided them with 68 kilograms of food.
On January 6, a U.S. Navy destroyer rescued fishermen on an Iranian boat held captive by pirates in the Arabian Sea.
Also in the Arabian Sea, on January 10, a U.S. coast guard ship rescued six Iranians from their distressed cargo ship.
The rescues come amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran over Tehran's threat to block the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic oil-shipping waterway in the Arabian Sea.
compiled from agency reports
The navy said in a statement that a Seahawk helicopter from the guided-missile destroyer "USS Dewey" spotted the sinking boat, named "Al Mamsoor," with one crew member aboard on January 18.
Two other crew members had taken refuge on two other fishing boats in the area that had come to help.
A navy vessel towed it to the other two vessels.
The navy said the "Al Mamsoor" crew had struggled with flooding for three days before abandoning the boat. The navy provided them with 68 kilograms of food.
On January 6, a U.S. Navy destroyer rescued fishermen on an Iranian boat held captive by pirates in the Arabian Sea.
Also in the Arabian Sea, on January 10, a U.S. coast guard ship rescued six Iranians from their distressed cargo ship.
The rescues come amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran over Tehran's threat to block the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic oil-shipping waterway in the Arabian Sea.
compiled from agency reports
