The USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, currently deployed in the region to counter threats by Iran and its proxy groups, successfully rescued two distressed Iranian mariners, the US Navy announced.
The rescue operation involved a rigid inflatable boat from the USS Daniel Inouye and a search and rescue helicopter from USS Theodore Roosevelt, the US CENTCOM announced on Thursday.
Rear Adm. Christopher Alexander, commander of Carrier Strike Group 9, commended the "swift and professional" response of the Navy sailors and aircrew, saying, "Aiding distressed mariners is a mission that our strike group will always stand ready to support."
The Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group has been conducting routine operations in the CENTCOM area of operation to deter Tehran-backed aggression and promote regional stability amid fears of an Iran-led retaliatory attack on Israel.
The rescue of Iranian sailors comes amidst ongoing tensions in the region, with Iran-backed Houthi rebels wreaking havoc on the international shipping in the area since November 2023.
The rebels released a video on Thursday showing them planting explosives aboard the Greek-flagged tanker Sounion, which had been abandoned after multiple attacks last week. The Houthis are seen in the video chanting their slogan: “Death to America; death to Israel; curse the Jews; victory to Islam.”
EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on Friday warned that the attack by the Houthis against Greek oil tanker MV Sounion could result in an environmental disaster.
Since November last year, the Houthis have launched numerous attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, following Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's call for Muslim nations to blockade Israel's trade routes amid the Gaza war.
