US navy boards Russian vessel carrying Iraqi oil

"The Russian crew and captain cooperated with the operation," the spokesman, Jim Kout, said. It was unclear whether the US navy still had control of the ship or what was found.

The NBC Television Network reported that the US suspected that two Russian ships had been transporting Iraqi oil for several weeks, hugging the coast of Iran "to elude US navy."

The US State Department made a formal complaint to the Russians last week, but when the smuggling did not stop, the Pentagon ordered the navy to board the ship, the network reported.