On Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) Navy forces confirmed the seizure of an “illegal transport” of Iranian-made ballistic and cruise missile components and other weaponry bound for Houthi rebels along the coast of Somalia in international waters of the Arabian Sea.
The seizure comes at a time when the region faces rising tensions as a result of Israel’s attack on Gaza. Yemen’s Houthis have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea that they suspect are linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports.
Iran’s Advanced Conventional Weapons Seized by US
According to a CENTCOM statement released on Tuesday, US Navy Seals found the weaponry during a night-time raid on a ship in the Arabian Sea on 11 January.
“US CENTCOM Navy forces conducted a night-time seizure of a dhow conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi forces in Yemen as part of the Houthis’ ongoing campaign of attacks against international merchant shipping,” CENTOM wrote on X.
USCENTCOM Seizes Iranian Advanced Conventional Weapons Bound for Houthis
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 16, 2024
On 11 January 2024, while conducting a flag verification, U.S. CENTCOM Navy forces conducted a night-time seizure of a dhow conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi… pic.twitter.com/yg4PuTZBh7
CENTCOM said Navy Seal operatives aboard the USS Lewis B Puller conducted a “complex” nighttime boarding with the support of helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and seized Iranian-made ballistic and cruise missile components.
Per the statement, the seized items include propulsion, guidance, and warheads for medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), and parts related to air defence systems.
“Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea,” the statement said.
The US military indicated this is the first seizure of Iranian-supplied “advanced conventional weapons” to the Houthis since the group started attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea in November 2023.
“The interdiction also constitutes the first seizure of advanced Iranian-manufactured ballistic missile and cruise missile components by the US Navy since November 2019,” it added.
Furthermore, two US Navy SEALs, who were earlier reported as missing at sea, were directly involved in this mission. CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla, said, “We are conducting an exhaustive search for our missing teammates.”
Kurilla asserted, “It is clear that Iran continues shipment of advanced lethal aid to the Houthis. This is yet another example of how Iran actively sows instability throughout the region in direct violation of UN Security Resolution 2216 and International law.”
“We will continue to work with regional and international partners to expose and interdict these efforts, and ultimately, to reestablish freedom of navigation,” he continued.
Escalating Tensions in Red Sea
Following the start of the fighting in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis began launching drones and missiles towards Israel although most of them have been intercepted.
Yemen’s Houthis are an Iranian-backed rebel group that views Israel as an enemy. The Houthi movement claims its “naval operations” are carried out “to support the Palestinian people in confronting the aggression and siege on Gaza.”
The US strikes the Yemen-based Houthis again, hitting anti-ship missiles, US officials say https://t.co/1gYrYWZ7Rb
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 16, 2024
In November, the Houthis hijacked a commercial ship in the Red Sea and have since attacked over two dozen others with drones, missiles, and speed boats.
In recent weeks, US warships in the region have thwarted multiple attacks from Yemen, including the Houthis’ largest ever drone and missile attack on 9 January.
In response to the attacks in the Red Sea, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational effort to counter Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the region.
Earlier this month, the US and the UK conducted air and naval operations against Houthi military targets in Yemen in response to the attacks in the Red Sea.
According to a statement released by the US Department of Defence, “the militaries of the US and UK, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, conducted strikes against military targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”
US President Joe Biden remarked, “these strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea.”