TEHRAN -?A Chinese freighter was hijacked by pirates near the Gulf on Friday morning, the Chinese embassy in Tehran said.

The cargo ship belonging to a Nanjing company was hijacked at about 9:30 am local time (0500 GMT) in the Sea of Oman near the Iranian port Chabahar.

The Chinese embassy in Tehran has started emergency procedures and contacted related Iranian governmental departments, urging the Iranian side to take all necessary measures and spare no efforts to rescue the crew members and ensure their safety.