When did the U.S. navy become the Iranian Coast Guard?

Posted By Joshua Keating Thursday, January 19, 2012 - 12:21 PM Share

It's great to hear that a U.S. Navy missile destroyer was able to assist the crew of a sinking Iranian fishing vessel in the Gulf of Oman today, but it should be said that this seems to be happening an awful lot lately.

On January 5, a U.S. destroyer rescued 13 Iranian commercial sailors who had been taken hostage by Somali pirates in the Northern Arabian Sea. On January 10, a U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat pulled a foundering Iranian cargo ship to safety. 

I know Iranian officials have warned U.S. vessels to stay out of their waters, even threatening to close down the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation. But it appears that by keeping military tensions in the region high, Tehran basically has the world's most powerful Navy serving as its own free Coast Guard. Not a bad deal.

U.S. Navy via Getty Images

 

JOHN JONES

1:09 PM ET

January 20, 2012

Not quite

The law of the sea says that any ship is expected to come to the aid of another vessel in distress regardless of nationality. This code has existed in one form or another since the days when sailors made sacrifices to Neptune before a voyage. Sailors take this very seriously because they know how dangerous an unpredictable the sea can be. (There but for the grace of god go I) The captain of a ship that failed to respond to the Titanic's distress rockets was fired from his job and essentially banished from his profession.

If a US navy vessel ignored a ship in distress when it could give aid without endangering itself, its captain would be roundly condemned worldwide. This is a long way from acting as Iran's coast guard.

 

CHAPMANJN

5:33 PM ET

January 20, 2012

A question

Just posing a question. Do you think that the US Navy has been actively seeking to help Iranian vessels as a way to deescalate the tension in the region? I don't know but it could prove to be an interesting strategy.

 

FRASIERHANSON

12:09 PM ET

February 17, 2012

This code has existed in one

This code has existed in one form or another since the days when sailors made sacrifices to Neptune before a voyage. Sailors take this very seriously because they know how dangerous an unpredictable the sea can be. (There but for the grace of god go I) The captain of a ship diyimprovementblog that failed to respond to the Titanic's distress rockets was fired from his job and essentially banished from his profession.

 

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