Two Iranian sailors adrift for eight days on a fishing boat in Gulf waters were rescued by the US Navy, the US Navy said in a statement on Sunday.
The men were "
in good health and in good spirits
" despite their ordeal, says the text.
Read the Iran-United States report: all you need to know about the crisis in the Middle East
"
A US Navy ship rescued two Iranian sailors (Saturday) on a drifting fishing boat for eight days in the Arabian Sea
", connected to the Gulf by the strategic Strait of Hormuz, says the Central Command of Hormuz. US Naval Forces (Navcent), based in Bahrain.
The US Navy supply freighter "
Charles Drew
" arrived on site with water, food and medical aid six hours after a distress call from the sailors, the statement added.
The two men were transported to an Omani Coast Guard vessel near the capital Muscat.
"
The sailors were in good health and had good morale at the time of their transfer,
" he said.
“
We are grateful for the assistance and support provided by the Government of Oman to help us bring the sailors home
,” said Navcent's Commanding Officer, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper.
The United States and its regional allies, including Bahrain, have as a common concern Iran, accused of orchestrating attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran denies.
Since February, Iran and Israel, two enemy countries, have been accused of engaging in what maritime security experts call a "
shadow war
," with ships linked to each country attacked in the area.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, two Gulf Arab countries, held their first joint military maneuvers with Israel in mid-November with the participation of the United States, a year after the normalization of their relations with the Jewish state.
