Iran: Seized ship to be released after fine paid

Iran says a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship seized by the country is likely to be released in two days after a fine is paid, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The Maersk Tigris was seized on April 28 after Iran claimed the 837-foot container ship ventured into Iranian waters in the Strait of Hormuz, defense officials said.

Marzieh Afkham, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, told reporters the ship's seizure followed a legal complaint by an Iranian private company, the AP reported.

She said "based on the information we have acquired, it is likely that the dispute will be settled within the next two days," the news agency said.

Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said that Iranian patrol vessels fired "inappropriate" warning shots at the ship as it sailed into the Strait of Hormuz in Iranian territorial waters.

The ship's master initially refused an Iranian order to move further into Iranian waters, but after the warning shots were fired, the Maersk Tigris complied.

Warren said the ship issued a distress call after the shots were fired, and the Navy then dispatched the USS Farragut, a destroyer, to monitor the situation. Navy patrol aircraft also monitored the situation.

Although the Maersk Tigris was in Iranian waters, Warren said ships regularly transit the narrow strait without incident under the recognized authority of "innocent passage."

There were no Americans among the crew, though the United States has security responsibilities with regard to the Marshall Islands. Rickmers Ship Management's Singapore operations, the ship's operator, told the Associated Press that most of the crew are from Eastern Europe and Asia.

Contributing: David Jackson and Tom Vanden Brook