US Navy helps Iranian mariners in Persian Gulf

The U.S. Navy has shared a report of its guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) helping three Iranian mariners in distress in the Persian Gulf on November 18.

According to the U.S. Navy, Nitze received notification from aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) of a small fishing vessel in distress.

Once Nitze’s crew identified the distressed vessel, the ship took action to render assistance.

After confirming the distressed vessel’s mariners were safe, they discovered the vessel had a dead battery. Nitze provided the Iranian crew with a new battery and a case of water, the U.S. Navy said.

“Our sailors are trained to respond quickly to those in distress at sea,” said Cmdr. Paul Kaylor, commanding officer of Nitze. “We are proud to have assisted in this situation.”

While not related it is interesting to note that ten U.S. Navy sailors were detained at gunpoint by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in late January this year. U.S. sailors strayed into Iranian territorial waters after experiencing problems with both the communication equipment and mechanical issues with the boats they were using.