Iran ship defies U.S. request, enters Gulf of Aden en route to Yemen

Special to WorldTribune.com

An Iranian-flagged cargo ship that is bound for Yemen in defiance of U.S. warnings has entered the Gulf of Aden and is expected to reach port on May 21.

The development on May 17 came hours ahead of the scheduled end of a five-day humanitarian pause in a Saudi-led bombing campaign against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Iran's Shahed, owned by Valfajr Shipping Company, is officially said to be carrying 2,500 tons of humanitarian supplies. / Mahmoud Hosseini — Iran’s Shahed, owned by Valfajr Shipping Company, is officially said to be carrying 2,500 tons of humanitarian supplies. / Mahmoud Hosseini

Iranian authorities say the vessel, the Iran Shahed, is carrying 2,500 tons of urgently needed aid – including flour, rice, canned food, medical supplies, and bottled water.

But the mission has been overshadowed by U.S. calls for the ship to head to a United Nations emergency relief hub in Djibouti instead of docking in the Yemeni port of Hodeida.

Passengers on the ship include doctors, journalists, and antiwar activists from the United States, France, and Germany.

A UN envoy on May 17 called for the ceasefire in Yemen to be extended.

Meanwhile, Houthi Shi’ite rebels boycotted political talks in Riyadh on May 17.

enters Gulf of Aden en route to Yemen, Iran ship defies U.S. request, WorldTribune.com

Iran ship defies U.S. request, enters Gulf of Aden en route to Yemen added by World Tribune on May 17, 2015
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