Iranian Navy Helps Out U.S.-Flagged Ship Under Suspected Pirate Assault

This January, the U.S. Navy helped rescue 13 Iranian sailors whose boat was overtaken by pirates. Now, it appears, Iran returned the favor. Bloomberg reports that the Iranian Navy assisted a U.S.-flagged ship from what sounds like a pirate attack in the Gulf of Oman. (The company that owns the ship, based on information from the captain, said it was a pirate attack; an E.U. task force disagreed.) Suspected pirates fired upon the Maersk Texas from skiffs, and the Iranian navy was first to respond to distress calls. The Iranians offered guidance to the crew of the ship by radio, and the assailants fled after their initial attack was rebuffed. All this comes amid talks between Iran and world powers — including the U.S. — over its nuclear program.