A US naval ship has saved an Iranian fishing dhow from sinking in the Arabian Sea, the third time within a fortnight in the area amid heightening political tensions between the two countries.
The rescue mission was conducted by the Guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey in central
Arabian Sea, the US Navy said in a release on Wednesday.
A US naval helicopter from the Maritime Strike Squadron 71 spotted the disabled fishing vessel 'Al Mamsoor' with one person on board Wednesday. The vessel was tethered to one of two other dhows nearby, it said.
Soon thereafter Dewey travelled to 'Al Mamsoor' at flank speed to assist the Iranian fishermen, who had fled the sinking dhow and boarded the other dhows.
For more than two hours, the US naval team provided food, water, medical and hygienic supplies, and confirmed that the dhow's crews did not need additional fuel.
While rendering aid, they learned that the 'Al Mamsoor' crew fought flooding for three days before finally abandoning their vessel.
After ensuring the safety of the crew and providing approximately 150 pounds of supplies, the VBSS team departed the scene and returned to Dewey.
Dewey, part of Destroyer Squadron 21, is conducting maritime security operations on a scheduled deployment with the John C Stennis Strike Group.
On January 10, the US Coast Guard Cutter Monomy responded to flares fired from the Iranian cargo dhow, Ya-Hussayn, which was experiencing engine troubles.
On January 5, the USS Stennis Strike Group rescued 13 Iranian fisherman held hostage by pirates in the North Arabian Sea.