Iranian Pirates Attack Another Cargo Ship
First on CNN: Five Iranian boats fire shots in the Persian Gulf
By Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent Updated 11:32 AM ET, Thu May 14, 2015
(The cost of cargo ship insurance just went up. Shouldn’t someone be shooting back about now? Please use the link above to gain access to the original article containing a video report by Barbara Starr. Â CNN video’s will not imbed in external web sites. – LS)
(CNN)Five Iranian boats fired shots across the bow of a Singapore flagged cargo vessel in the Persian Gulf on Thursday in an attempt to potentially stop the ship, a U.S. official told CNN. For the first time, the incident brought another Persian Gulf nation into the recent rising maritime tensions in the region.
It is not yet clear if any of the rounds hit the Alpine Eternity. There were no U.S. citizens or cargo on board. The Pentagon is still gathering information about the incident.
RELATED: Pentagon says Iranian escort ‘absolutely unnecessary’
The incident began when five small fast boats, believed to be manned by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy approached the cargo vessel just off the coast of the United Arab Emirates but in international water, the official said.
These Iranian boats are typically manned with smaller caliber weapons such as machine guns.
The Iranian boats fired across the bow, and at that point the cargo vessel turned and escaped by entering into UAE territorial waters, according to initial U.S. military reports of the incident. The UAE sent three of its coast guard boats out to the cargo vessel.
The incident began with the Iranians ordering the ship into Iranian waters. When the ships master refused, the Iranians began to fire in a way to try to disable the ship, not just as warning shots, the U.S. official said.
Several shots hit the cargo ship, but did not disable it. The ship went into UAE waters and the Iranians followed it into those territorial waters, continuing to fire, before breaking off.
The cargo ship’s master did call coalition warships in the vicinity on the radio including U.S. Navy warships to ask for help when the incident began. A P-3 from a country in the region was sent overhead and the Navy began moving, but the incident was over before it could get there.
The Pentagon recently stopped escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and it’s not clear if those operations will resume. They had been escorting commercial shipping but of two recent Iranian incidents interfering with cargo shipping in the area.
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Tags: Iranian navy
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WarSclerotic 
May 15, 2015 at 12:22 AM
It’s going to be a very dicey close to Obama’s presidentcy. Israel needs to be ready for what’s to come. The bad guys will not wait around for the next president. Whoever it is, will surly not be as plyable as Obama.
It is written!
May 15, 2015 at 2:41 PM
Good point JP. The next 20 months or so are going to be critical. Then again, it all depends who wins the White House in 2016. If Hillary steals the election, I don’t expect her to be any less pliable than Obama. She’s already proven she can be bought for the right price.
May 15, 2015 at 5:14 PM
Do you see any real challenge come from the republicans?
Maybe Bush, but who wants to see another Bush Clinton race?😖😖😖
May 15, 2015 at 5:26 PM
I’m afraid Clinton will win. With her, you get two presidents for the price of one!
May 15, 2015 at 5:36 PM
So true. Heck, she’s barely campaigning and remains strong in the polls despite her criminal behavior.
May 15, 2015 at 5:34 PM
As foretold.
For all of you waiting for Neville Netanyahu to strap on a set and attack Iran. Here’s the last nail in your coffin.
“Israeli sources: Israel willing to accept Iran deal for US compensation.”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4657389,00.html
May 15, 2015 at 6:54 PM
Reblogged this on boudicabpi2015 and commented:
Iranian Pirates Attack Another Cargo Ship