The report on Wednesday by the daily IRAN quotes navy chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari as saying the clashes broke out after pirates took over a commercial ship last week. The ship was identified as Armis and was destined for Iran, but it was not clear what country’s flag it was flying.

The commander says pirates killed two non-Iranian crew members of the ship and injured one during their attack. He says the pirates could face justice in Iran.

Adm. Sayyari says the pirates seized the ship some 1,800 miles (3,000 kilometers) from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas in the Indian Ocean.