Global Courant
The capture is the first since the Houthis began attacking shipping in the Red Sea in November.
The US Navy said it seized weapons last week that Iran had sent to supply Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a statement on Tuesday that US Navy Seals found the weapons during a nighttime raid on a ship in the Arabian Sea on January 11. Iran has denied any link to the Houthis’ campaign of attacks. in the Red Sea, which have disrupted world trade.
The attack on a dhow near the coast of Somalia last week uncovered “lethal” advanced conventional weapons, the statement said. The Iranian-made ballistic missiles and cruise missile components were seized by US forces.
The seizure comes at a time of increasing violence in the region related to Israel’s war on Gaza. The Houthis, who control most of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, have attacked commercial ships they say are linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports. According to the Yemeni group, the offensive launched in November is intended to defend the Palestinians.
After forming a joint patrol force, US and British forces upped the ante last week, carrying out dozens of attacks on Houthi targets. US officials said the attacks had significantly damaged the Houthis’ capabilities, reducing their ability to fire missiles and launch drones.
However, official sources quoted by Al Jazeera claimed that the group still retains three-quarters of its capacity.
On Monday, the US military said the rebel group had hit a US-owned container ship with an anti-ship ballistic missile. No injuries or significant damage were reported.
The attack came the day after the Houthis launched a cruise missile at a US destroyer.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea said that “all American and British ships and warships involved in the aggression against our country” would be considered hostile targets, and vowed that no attack would go unpunished.
US military analysts claimed that the seized weapons are of the same type as those used by the Houthis to attack international ships in the area.
Despite rhetorically supporting the Houthi campaign, Iran has firmly denied Washington’s accusations that it is supplying the Yemeni rebel group with weapons and tactical intelligence.
The statement described the seizure as “the first seizure of lethal Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons (ACW) to the Houthis since the Houthi attacks on merchant ships began in November 2023.”
“This is yet another example of how Iran is actively sowing instability throughout the region, in direct violation of UN Security Resolution 2216 and international law,” said CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla.
He also noted that two Navy Seals previously reported as lost at sea were directly involved in the operation that led to the seizure.
