Iranian Navy Units Divert W. German Cargo Ship in Gulf
Iranian navy units intercepted a West German-owned container ship in the Persian Gulf on Thursday and forced it to an Iranian port, gulf shipping officials said.
The incident was the latest development in Iran’s campaign of inspecting ships in the gulf to ensure they are not carrying cargo bound for Iraq, its foe in the six-year-old war in the region.
The 8,931-ton Bremen-based Karakoram was reportedly bound for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates when it was intercepted by the Iranian navy and escorted to Iran for cargo inspection.
The ship, with a 22-member Filipino and German crew, was carrying general cargo for the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, the shipping officials said.
Iran said its naval units had escorted two cargo ships to southern Iranian ports Wednesday and early Thursday to inspect their cargoes.
The Iranian national news agency said 14 other foreign ships were inspected in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.
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