JEDDAH: º£½ÇÖ±²¥ rescued on Tuesday an injured crew member from a “hostile†Iranian ship off the coast of Yemen.
The crew member was airlifted from the Iranian-registered Saviz, which was more than 170 kilometers northwest of the port of Hodeidah, the Arab coalition fighting to restore the government of Yemen, said.
The ship is registered as a commercial cargo vessel, but coalition spokesman Col. Turki Al-Malki, said the Saviz serves as a military vessel.
Al-Malki said the assistance was provided “despite the threat represented by this suspect vessel … the hostile acts it carries out against coalition forces and the interests of the Yemeni people and its continued threats to maritime lanes and global trade on the Red Sea.â€
The Saudi rescuers were despatched after a distress call from the ship was received by coordination teams in the Kingdom and passed on to the Center for Coordination of Search and Rescue in Jeddah.
Al-Maliki said º£½ÇÖ±²¥ also received a formal request from the Iranian charge d’affaires to the United Nations for assistance.
“The crew member had sustained a serious injury and his health had deteriorated,†the coalition said.
Col. Al-Maliki said a coalition naval ship nearby was directed to the Saviz.
Medical assistance was provided to the wounded man by a coalition team.
He was then taken by hospital to a military hospital in Jazan at 6:30 p.m. local time (3:20 p.m. GMT).
