Iran rejects abduction of Iraqi ship

Hossein Abbasnejad, referring to the news published in some Arab media about the abduction of an Iraqi vessel in Iran, rejected the relevant news.

He explained that on March 5, after receiving an emergency message from an unidentified vessel in the vicinity of Saudi waters, a lifeboat was sent to the position from the Iranian port of Deir.

Upon reaching the declared position, it was determined that the crew of the vessel had been rescued by a foreign vessel and were being transferred to Ras al-Tanura, a city in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia located on a peninsula extending into the Persian Gulf, he added.

On March 10, with the announcement of the representative of the Iraqi owner of the vessel, it was revealed that the said tugboat had stuck into mud due to the weather conditions, 8 miles away from the Iranian Bushehr port, the Iranian officail added.

HJ/FNA 14000102000196