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Iranian forces boarded a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship moving into waters in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Defense Department (DoD) said Tuesday.
There are about 30 people aboard the vessel, with no Americans among them, according to DoD spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren. An American destroyer has been dispatched to monitor the situation.
Warren said at a press conference that several Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vessels approached the MV Maersk Tigris as it was transiting into Iranian waters early Tuesday morning.
The Maersk Tigris was contacted and told to proceed further into Iranian territorial waters, and when the ship's master declined, one of the Iranian ships fired "shots across the bridge" of the cargo ship, Warren said.
After the encounter, the cargo ship proceeded into Iranian waters by Larak Island, and then put out a distress call, he said.
At that time, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (Navcent) directed the USS Farragut destroyer to "proceed at best speed to the nearest location of the Maersk Tigris," Warren said.
"We continue to monitor the situation," Warren said, adding that it is unclear where the Maersk Tigris is now located.
Commenting on reports that the deepest part of the cargo ship's shipping route is in Iranian territorial waters, Warren said it is "a complex legal question" whether the cargo vessel was in any violation.
"This part of the Strait of Hormuz is apparently Iranian territorial waters. It's within 12 miles of the Iranian coast," he said. "However, because it is recognized as an international shipping lane, something called 'innocent passage' is applied."
"So ships are authorized to pass through this Strait," he said, adding it is a "heavily traveled shipping lane."
Asked whether it was "inappropriate" for the Iranian navy to fire a shot at the Maersk Tigris, Warren responded, "It is inappropriate."
In addition, Warren said that the Pentagon was looking into whether the U.S. military is obligated to intervene on behalf of the ship.
"We do have certain obligations with the Marshall Islands and we are working through that right now," he said, adding that it was still unclear who owns the ship. Enditem
