Iran welcomes U.S. rescue of sailors

Photo of the USS Kidd rescuing the Iranian vessel from Somali pirates, Jan. 5, 2012. / U.S. Navy

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's government on Saturday welcomed the U.S. Navy's rescue of 13 Iranian fishermen held by pirates, calling it a positive humanitarian gesture.

U.S. officials announced Friday that the fishermen had been rescued by a U.S. Navy destroyer on Thursday, more than 40 days after their boat was commandeered by suspected Somali pirates in the northern Arabian Sea. The rescue came just days after Tehran warned the U.S. to keep the same group of warships out of the Persian Gulf in a reflection of Iran's fear that American warships could try to enforce an embargo against Iranian oil exports.

"The rescue of Iranian sailors by American forces is considered a humanitarian gesture and we welcome this behavior," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted as saying by state TV's Al-Alam Arabic channel.

U.S. rescues Iranian ship held by pirates

Iran's hard-line Fars news agency had a different take, calling the rescue operation a Hollywood dramatization of a routine event.

The Fars report noted that attacks by Somali pirates in the region are common and said that Iran's navy has itself freed many mariners held by pirates in recent years without seeking to highly publicize it.

Amid escalating tension with Iran over its nuclear program, the Obama administration reveled in delivering Friday's announcement and highlighted the fact that the rescuing ships were the same ones Iran's army chief had just said were no longer welcome in the Persian Gulf.

"Basically, rescuing trading and fishing boats from the hands of pirates in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden is considered a completely normal issue," Fars said. "A U.S. helicopter filming the rescue operation from the first minute makes it look like a Hollywood drama with specific locations and actors. It shows the Americans tried to publicize it through the media and present the American warship as a savior."

The semiofficial Fars news agency is considered close to Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard military force.

Fars reported in April that Iranian naval commandos had driven off pirates attempting to hijack a supertanker off Pakistan's southwestern coast.

"Iran's navy has rescued various foreign ships from the hands of pirates ... but never publicized that," it said.

Naval forces from several countries patrol shipping lanes in the region in pursuit of Somali pirates. The pirates, who are after huge ransoms, have dramatically expanded their range in recent years and targeted some of the largest vessels to take to the seas, including oil supertankers.

The episode occurred after a week of tough talk from Iranian leaders, including the statement that American vessels were no longer welcome in the Gulf. Iran also warned it could block the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which a sixth of the world's oil flows to market.

The Iranian threats, which were brushed aside by the Obama administration, were in response to strong economic sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear enrichment program. A week ago, President Barack Obama signed into law new sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and its ability to sell petroleum abroad.

At the same time, Iran has sought to project its naval power, carrying out 10 days of military drills at sea near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

On Saturday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard began new war games near the Afghan border, according to the Guard's website, sepahnews.com.

Mohammad Pakpoor, commander of the Guard's ground force, said the maneuvers began outside Khaf, an eastern town near the border. He said the war games were aimed at strengthening Iran's borders and increasing the combat readiness of the Guard's ground force.

Iran is also planning new military exercises near the Hormuz Strait next month.

[phil-99]

"Iran's hard-line Fars news agency had a different take, calling the rescue operation a Hollywood dramatization of a routine event."

'Sour Grapes'- so typical of Fars...

[nancy_naive]

In the hours following 9-11, the people of Tehran laid a veritable "Wall of Flowers" and held candlelight vigils at the old US embassy building. They wept openly at what SAUDI terrorists had done.

Bush repaid the gesture by declaring Iran an "Axis of Evil".

[InnerView]

"Iran's government on Saturday welcomed the U.S. Navy's rescue of 13 Iranian fishermen held by pirates, calling it a positive humanitarian gesture."

BEAUTIFUL!

This is great news, I can only hope this is the first step to find common peaceful ground with Iran. We need to calm things not create more wars.

(And I'm not a Liberal)

[nancy_naive]

On 9-11 outside the old US embassy building in Tehran, the Iranian people built a veritable wall of flowers and wept openly at what had been done by SAUDI terrorists.

Bush repaid the gesture by declaring Iran an "Axis of Evil".

[lloydbest1]

The "Hollywood dramatization" and filming of the event could have done for the purpose of training for future missions of the same type. What was done in the gulf wasn't exactly routine and as much as the U.S. military has kept an eye on the place and with as much similar civilian surveillance activity there; any similar action by the Iranian navy as claimed by Fars would have been well documented by others besides Iran by now.

America will, of course score as many points as it can but at the end of the day what really counts is that those fishermen will now be able to enjoy their families (and hopefully not be sequestered by the Iranian authorities for an indefinite period of time before quietly disappearing).

[bobnjersey]

["Iran's navy has rescued various foreign ships from the hands of pirates ... but never publicized that," it said.]
------------------------------------
well then ... take this as a lesson in the game of 'hearts and minds' ... and make sure you take a lot of aerial photos next time.

[venusvegasvada]

"Iran's hard-line Fars news agency had a different take, calling the rescue operation a Hollywood dramatization of a routine event."

Routine event? Maybe for the US Navy.

Someone better call Sinbad and let him know his lost ship is coming back, courtesy of the US Navy.

[Danize]

While somewhat dramatized, this rescure is an authentic instance of a natural human response to seeing other human beings in distress. Likely enough the Iranians would have responded likewise has the situation been reversed.

This random incident may well have poked a small hole through the thick cold sheet of war rhetoric. Here is an opportunity to reestablish mutual dialogue that may act to pull both nations back from the brink.

In any event, this rescue portrays America at its best. Well done, U.S. Navy. People of goodwill salute you.

[noname2138]

Hopefully, this is the beginning of a new and more positive dialogue between the two nations.

[julianpenrod]

To the hard line New World Order supporters, if people demonstrate in other countries, they are "seeking human rights". When they demonstrate in the U.S., they're "worthless freeloaders who only want others to pamper them".
The U.S. always "faces a threat of 'terrorists' infiltrating through illegal alien border crossing", but, if an American crosses another nation's borders, it's "by accident and only with innocent purpose".
The West, possessor of one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world, has the right unilaterally, claiming "the entire world agrees with them", to cut off economic influx to Iran because Iran purportedly is trying to develop their own nuclear arms to keep from being a slave to craven Western powers who do, but, if Iran threatens to cut off oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz they, "have no right to decide other peoples' access to oil".
When a bomb explodes outside a U.S. embassy, it's "the act of a coward trying to destroy legitimate government", but, when car bombs recently exploded in Damascus, hard line New World Order quislings insisted they were "a show to convince the Arab League they were also targeted by 'terrorists'".
When the car bombs supposedly were cleared away before a full investigation could be made, it was declared by NWO shills "proof the bombs were deliberately set by Syria", but try to find NWO quislings who voice suspicion about the rubble of the World Trade Center being removed without an investigation into what really caused the collapse, or even about the town of Stamford, Connecticut razing Madonna Badger's house before a forensic examination could prove she burned it down herself for personal gain.
If Iranians rescued Americans held by pirates, NWO shills would call it a "publicity stunt", but they declare it a "definitive act of American good will" when Somali pirates, all in the pay of the CIA to monitor and control the area shipping surreptitiously, are forced to return Iranian sailors Obama ordered kidnapped.

[iamproteus]

Riiiight!

[nancy_naive]

may have ordered kidnapped...

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I see duplicity everywhere.

And like the fact that our 10% of the world's population consumes 50% of the food and power, we also produce 50% of the world's duplicity.

[antoniof123]

Who cares what Iran is saying just do a good thing it doesn't matter what anyone thinks.

Good Job US Navy!!!!!

[JoseGonzalezDoritos]

Maybe as a show of good will, the criminal regime of Iran can return our drone.