UAE Cargo Ship Sinks in Gulf Waters, Iran Rescues Most Crew Members

On Thursday, a UAE cargo ship sank off the coast of Iran, prompting a search and rescue mission in rough seas that retrieved all but one of the ship's 30 crew members.

The crisis management director for Bushehr province on Iran's Gulf coast told state news agency IRNA that "all except one of the 30 crew members had been rescued."

He added the search for the remaining missing crew member was still on, with two rescue vessels scouring the seas.

The ship, a car transporter, crashed in strong winds off the Iranian port of Asalouyeh, according to state media.

The UAE ship sank before three rescue vessels could reach its location, the official added, due to "unfavourable weather and high gusts."

The ship's origin or destination, as well as the nationalities of its crew, were unknown.

However, the ship was recognised as the "Al Salmy 6" by MarineTraffic, an internet tracking service, and it was sailing from Dubai to Iraq's Umm Qasr.

The UAE  ship had "encountered dangerous weather," it stated in a tweet, with warnings of waves as high as 4.4 metres at the time.

On Wednesday, Iran's weather agency issued a red alert for high winds and rough seas in the waters off Asalouyeh.

The Arabian Gulf continues to be a key economic waterway, with cargo ships transshipping to other parts of the world and energy shipments from Gulf Arab governments.