[Bangla Daily Star] Iran's navy yesterday said it saved an American-flagged fat merchantman that was being attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Oman.An Iranian warship responded to a distress signal from the US-flagged Maersk Texas, a fat merchantman of 150 metres and 14,000 tonnes, which was besieged by "several pirate boats," the navy said in a statement reported by the official IRNA news agency.
It was the first time the Iranian navy protected a US ship from pirates.
Maersk had sailed from the UAE port of Fujairah, south of the Strait Hormuz at the entrance of the Gulf, and was headed for the United States.
Iran's navy keeps a presence in Gulf of Oman to protect cargo ships and transiting oil tankers and also defend the country against potential threats.