Iran Seizes US Ship, US Rejects Use of Force against Tehran

Local Editor

In the Issue of Iran boarding a US cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz due to legal issues as it trespassed on Iranian waters, the US Department of State rejected using force against Iran.

The Coast Guard intercepted the ship belonging to the MV Maersk Tigris on the order of a court in Tehran, he said.
Moreover, the ship was sailing in the Iranian waters when it was intercepted by the Coast Guard and diverted toward Larak Island near Bandar Abbas.

Consequently, the US State Department had announced that it was "premature" to say whether the use of force was needed after Iran boarded a cargo ship.

"The security compact between the United States and the Republic of Marshall Islands gives the US authority and responsibility for security and defense matters that relate to the Marshall Islands, including matters related to vessels flying the Marshallese flag," State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said on Tuesday afternoon.

"But it won't surprise you that we, you know, have not done a thorough, full-ranging analysis of that compact in the last couple of hours. ... But certainly that's something we're looking - we're looking at," he added.

Furthermore, the Pentagon announced that no American citizen was involved in the incident.

As Iranian naval forces fired warning shots across the bow of the vessels, the container ship sent a distress call to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain which dispatched the destroyer USS Farragut and a reconnaissance aircraft to the area.

Though, the destroyer left the area after it was told by Iranian forces not to intervene.

Henceforth, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said the destroyer was directed "to proceed at best speed to the nearest location of the Maersk Tigris."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team