The US Navy announced Wednesday it led a rescue operation to assist the crew of an Iranian fishing vessel in distress in the Gulf of Oman, the third in 10 days in an area marked by tension between Washington and Tehran. A Seahawk helicopter from the guided missile destroyer USS Dewey spotted an Iranian fishing boat sinking early Wednesday while two other vessels tried to tow it to safety, according to a Navy press release.
One sailor remained on board the sinking boat, called the Al Mamsoor, while two other crew members took refuge on the vessels that came to help. The helicopter stayed overhead while the USS Dewey joined the rescue operation. The Al Mamsoor crew had fought flooding for three days before abandoning their vessel, the Navy statement said. On January 7, a Navy destroyer rescued 13 Iranian fishermen who were being held hostage by Somali pirates.