Iran says Israel stops its aid ship to Gaza

13 Jan 2009 -- 12:50:20 GMT

Reporting by Hashem Kalantari, writing by Edmund Blair

TEHRAN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - An Iranian ship carrying aid to Gaza was stopped by Israel's navy on its way towards the Palestinian territory, Iran's state radio reported on Tuesday.

"An Iranian ship that was carrying foodstuff and medicine was stopped by the Zionist regime's navy 20 miles off the coast of Gaza," radio reported, adding that the ship had left the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas 13 days earlier.

The captain of an Iranian ship says his objective is to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and has no intention to cut his mission short.
We started moving toward the Gaza port three days ago under the escort of Israeli Navy ships. We were then returned to international waters. With the promises we have been given, I hope that we will be able to deliver the cargo either through Gaza or an Egyptian port in the next few days," the captain of the Iranian ship Shahed, Goudarz Ghaleh-Golab, told Press TV on Saturday.