US sends destroyers to aid ship taken hostage by Iran

Independent:
Iranian forces have reportedly fired at and seized a US cargo ship with 34 sailors on board, according to Saudi Arabian state TV.

The vessel has been directed to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on the southern coast, Al-Arabiya has reported.

It remains unclear why or if the ship was captured, and whether the shots injured anyone on-board, as neither US nor Iranian officials have confirmed the allegations. The US Fifth Fleet off the coast of Bahrain had no immediate comment on the report, according to Reuters.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency suggested that the ship was trespassing in the Persian Gulf.
...
The Washington Times reports that at least five Iranian naval vessels approached the ship and fired shots forcing the crew to take the ship to an Iranian port.  The US is responsible for the security of the Marc\shall Islands.

I suspect this may be a retaliation for the US role in forcing Iranian ships to leave water around Yemen.  It comes at a critical time in Obama's attempt to strike a deal with Iran and will probably put more political pressure on him to get tougher with Iran.

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