Iran seizes US cargo ship for trespass in territorial waters - reportsPublished time: April 28, 2015 14:37 Iranian navy warship (Reuters / Stringer) The Iranian Navy has reportedly seized a US ship with 34 crew members on board, for violating Irans waters in the Persian Gulf. An Iranian warship is taking the vessel to the city of Bandar Abbas, Fars and Al Arabiya report. A Pentagon spokesman has confirmed that Iranian forces have boarded the Marshall Island-flagged Tigris vessel, Reuters reports. Al Arabiya reports that the Iranian Navy opened fire in the direction of the ship before seizing it. The nationalities of the crew members are unknown. According to Fars, there has been no official confirmation of the seizure. It comes as a Iran continues talks with the six world powers on the development of a nuclear deal. US Secretary of State John Kerry told a global gathering on nuclear disarmament on Tuesday that a deal is “closer than ever” but that tough negotiations lie ahead. The comment came after Kerry met with Irans foreign minister on the sidelines. In a tentative deal reached earlier this month, Tehran agreed to curb sensitive nuclear work for at least a decade in exchange for sanctions relief. Though Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, the West fears Tehran is using the program to develop atomic weapons. |