US Navy rescues Iranian fishing boat from pirates

Amidst the political tensions between the US and Iran over transit in and around the Persian Gulf, a US Navy ship rescued an Iranian fishing boat that had been commandeered by suspected Somali pirates in Arabian Sea.

Thirteen Iranians were rescued by a US Navy destroyer on Thursday, more than 40 days after their boat was commandeered by suspected Somali pirates in the northern Arabian Sea.

"This is an incredible story. This is a great story," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told media persons.

The rescue came just days after Iranian leaders warned the US to keep its warships out of the Persian Gulf.

"The very same ship and set of vessels that the Iranians protested on its last voyage through Hormuz, the John C Stennis Carrier Strike Group, just rescued this Iranian dhow from pirates," she said.

Defence Secretary Leon Panetta personally called the crew to congratulate them on their great humanitarian effort.

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Panetta called the USS John C Stennis and spoke to Rear Admiral Craig Faller, commander of the Carrier Strike Group that conducted the successful operation that rescued 13 Iranian sailors from 15 suspected pirates in the northern Arabian Sea.

"The Secretary congratulated Admiral Faller and the entire team, saying it was a 'well executed effort.' He said the team did exactly the right thing, and that he's proud of what they were able to do," Little said.

"When we get a distress signal, we're going to respond. That's the nature of what our country is all about," Panetta said.

According to US Navy, on January 5 afternoon Seahawk from the guided-missile destroyer detected a suspected pirate skiff alongside the Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al-Molai. Simultaneously, a distress call was received from the master of the Al-Molai claiming he was being held captive by pirates.

A Visit, Board, Search and Seizure team from the Kidd boarded the Al-Molai and detained 15 pirates who had been holding the 13 Iranians hostage for several weeks.

The Al-Molai had been pirated and used as a "mother ship" for pirate operations throughout the Persian Gulf, according to members of the Iranian vessel's crew.

"The Al-Molai had been taken over by pirates for roughly the last 40-45 days," said Josh Schminky, a Navy Criminal Investigative Service agent aboard the Kidd.

"They (Iranians) were held hostage, with limited rations, and we believe were forced against their will to assist the pirates with other piracy operations," he said, adding "when we boarded, we gave them food, water, and medical care."

The pirates were detained by the boarding party until the next morning when they could be transferred to the USS John C Stennis where the matter will be reviewed for prosecution.

"They were obviously very grateful to be rescued by these pirates," Nuland said.