US National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor has offered assurances that the US naval presence off the Arabian Sea aims to bring peace and security to that region of the world.

Vietor’s statements come in response to Iran’s welcoming the US Navy’s release of 13 Iranian sailors detained by pirates.

Vietor said — according to the American Radio Sawa on Sunday — that the US took note of the acknowledgment of the humane nature of the US Navy’s act.

US officials had said Friday that the US Navy destroyer the USS Kidd was able to free the Iranian sailors after they were in the custody of pirates for one month. The navy supplied them with fuel and needed food to facilitate their returning home.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon underlined the importance of easing tensions between Iran and the US in the Strait of Hormuz and the region, expressing his hope that all involved parties would exert their utmost efforts to resolve conflict through dialogue and peaceful means.