Turkmenistan’s coast guard has rescued 14 seafarers from an Iranian general cargo ship that got into trouble in the Caspian Sea, amid reports the vessel may have been tied to military trades.

The Turkmen Foreign Ministry said the Iranian-flagged Rona sent out a distress signal yesterday, prompting an immediate response from state emergency agencies. All 14 people onboard – preliminarily identified as citizens of Iran and India – were safely recovered, the ministry said, without disclosing the nature of the incident or the condition of the ship.

The 1983-built Rona is a 2,453 dwt general cargo vessel measuring 114 m in length and 13 m in beam. 

Ukrainian media have linked the Rona to alleged Iranian weapons shipments to Russia, though there has been no independent confirmation of such activity. No details have been released on the cargo the ship was carrying at the time of the casualty, and the Turkmen Foreign Ministry’s press service has not provided further comment.