An Iranian warship was forced to release two US unmanned vessels in the Red Sea, the US Navy 5th Fleet said in a statement.
(Bloomberg) — An Iranian warship was forced to release two US unmanned vessels in the Red Sea, the US Navy 5th Fleet said in a statement.
Jamaran, an Islamic Republic naval ship, seized two unmanned drone vessels at around 2 p.m. local time on Thursday before returning them to the US Navy at 8 a.m. the next day, according to the statement. The US used two guided-missile destroyers and helicopters to secure the release, the statement said.
Iranian state TV previously reported that the country’s forces seized the vessels because they were endangering safe navigation in the waterway.
The US Navy said the vessels were unarmed, posed no risk to ships in the area and had been operating nearby for more than 200 days, the statement said. The ships were taking unclassified photos of the surrounding environment at least four nautical miles from the nearest maritime traffic lane, it said.
The seizure occurred two days after the US said it foiled an Iranian attempt to capture one of its drone ships in the Persian Gulf.
The two sides have been engaged in negotiations over limiting Iran’s nuclear program, which appear to have stalled over the past week. The U.S. has been seeking another deal similar to one signed in 2015 that was later abandoned by President Donald Trump.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
