Politics & Government
Hans Lauzen Among Crew That Rescued Iranian Fishing Boat From Pirates
The son of Kane County Board chairman candidate state Sen. Chris Lauzen is among the crew of the USS Kidd, which captured national headlines Jan. 6 for the rescue of an Iranian fishing boat.
The son of Chris and Sarah Lauzen was among the crew of the Navy destroyer that was in national headlines Friday for rescuing an Iranian fishing boat.
According to a report by Bloomberg and many other media, on Jan. 6, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Kidd rescued an Iranian fishing boat that had been commandeered by suspected pirates just days after Tehran warned the United States to keep its warships out of the Persian Gulf. U.S. Navy Ensign Hans Lauzen of Aurora is serving as combat electronics officer on the USS Kidd on his first deployment, after graduating and being commissioned at the University of Southern California in May.
Lauzen is the son of Sarah and Chris Lauzen, the state Sen. who is seeking the GOP nomination for Kane County Board chairman.
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American forces flying off the guided-missile destroyer responded to a distress call from the Iranian vessel, the Al Molai, which had been held captive for more than 40 days, the U.S. Navy said Friday. The Kidd was sailing in the Arabian Sea, after leaving the Persian Gulf, when it came to the sailors’ aid.
A U.S. Navy team boarded the ship Thursday and detained 15 suspected Somali pirates. They had been holding the 13-member Iranian crew hostage and were using the boat as a “mother ship” for pirating operations in the Persian Gulf.
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State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, “This is an incredible story ... a great story,” explaining that the very same American ships that the Islamic republic protested for recently traveling through the Strait of Hormuz were responsible for the Iranian vessel’s recovery.
The episode occurred after a week of hostile rhetoric from Iranian leaders, including a statement by Iran’s Army chief that American vessels are no longer welcome in the Gulf. Iran also warned that it could block the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that carries to market much of the oil pumped in the Middle East.
Nulan said the Navy had made a “humanitarian gesture” in rescuing and taking the Iranians on board, feeding them, and ensuring that they were in good health before setting them safely on their way.
Information for this article is courtesy of a press release from the Chris Lauzen for Kane County Board chairman campaign.
