Iranian coast guards seized two Saudi fishing vessels as they illegally entered the Islamic republic's territorial waters, a provincial official said Wednesday.
"Yesterday, the coast guards deployed in the country's southern waters came to spot two vessels in Iran's protected waters (in Persian Gulf) using electronic and optic tools and equipment," reported Xinhua citing Qalandar Lashkari, commander of Iran's Bushehr province coast guards.
The Iranian coast guards rushed to the scene and found the two vessels were illegally fishing in the Iranian waters under the Saudi flag, said Lashkari, adding that coast guards later arrested nine sailors from different countries in the vessels.
Earlier this year, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s naval force seized another Saudi vessel after it illegally entered the Iranian waters. The vessel was later released.