US Navy Rescues Two Iranian Mariners in Gulf of Oman*
The US Navy rescued two Iranian mariners in distress last Friday in international waters, CNN reports, citing US Central Command.
Sailors from the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, currently operating in the Gulf of Oman, responded to the emergency situation involving the stranded Iranian civilians. While the specifics surrounding their distress remain unclear, the rescue operation was conducted with urgency.
On August 23, a rigid inflatable boat from a US destroyer, along with a rescue helicopter from the USS Theodore Roosevelt, successfully retrieved the mariners from the water and transported them to the aircraft carrier for immediate medical care. In addition to medical attention, the mariners were provided with food and water.
“Aiding distressed mariners is a mission that our strike group will always stand ready to support. It is the right thing to do, and further demonstrates that the US Navy is a force ready when called upon,” shared Rear Adm. Christopher Alexander, the commander of the strike group.
This operation is particularly important as the carrier strike group is stationed in the region primarily to deter Iran and its allies from potential attacks on Israel and US forces in Iraq and Syria. Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered two carrier strike groups to remain in the Middle East due to concerns over a possible Iranian attack against Israel. These tensions have surged since the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July, an incident that Iran and Hamas have attributed to Israeli actions, a claim Israel has neither confirmed nor denied.
