ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States Navy and Coast Guard rescued seven mariners from a sinking Iranian vessel in the Persian Gulf, the US Central Command announced late Tuesday.

The mariners, five Iranians and two Indians, were rescued after abandoning the commercial vessel Shayesteh, which had issued a mayday call before sinking.

The crew was rescued by US naval personnel and taken aboard a coast guard ship for medical care.

The Persian Gulf is a strategic waterway, vital for global energy supplies, with a significant portion of the world's oil transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. Incidents involving vessels in this region have far-reaching implications for international trade and regional stability.

In recent years, there have been multiple instances where US naval forces have rendered aid to Iranian sailors in distress.