US Navy rescues Iranians held by pirates
Aircraft carrier frees 13 Iranian hostages in Arabian Sea, less than a week after Tehran warns US not to return to Strait of Hormuz
A member of the same US aircraft carrier group that Iran has warned not to return to the Strait of Hormuz has rescued 13 Iranians held hostage by pirates in the Arabian Sea, the Pentagon said on Friday.
"The Iranians and the dhow (a traditional vessel) have been released and they're on their way back home," said Captain John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman.
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Report: Iran tells departed US carrier to 'stay out' of Persian Gulf'
He said the US Navy had captured 15 pirates, all believed to be Somali born. They were being held on board the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis.
On Tuesday, Iran's army chief told the United States that a US aircraft carrier which left the area because of Iranian naval exercises should not return to the Gulf, the state news agency reported on Tuesday.
"Iran will not repeat its warning ... the enemy’s carrier has been moved to the Sea of Oman because of our drill. I recommend and emphasize to the American carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf," Ataollah Salehi told IRNA.
The US Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain, said it would not allow shipping to be disrupted in the strait.
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