Seizure of Iranian weapons for the Houthis in the Arabian Sea
English - Thursday 05 December 2019 الساعة 11:01 am
aden,newsyemen
A US Navy warship has seized a "large arms shipment" on a boat containing Iranian missile parts on its way to Houthi rebels in Yemen, US officials said on Wednesday.
According to the Associated Press, the boat was seized by the US Navy and the US Coast Guard team last Wednesday in the north of the Arabian Sea, and the weapons were found to belong to Iran.
The incident illustrates the continued illegal smuggling of weapons to Houthi militias, officials said.
The United States regularly accuses Iran of illegally smuggling weapons to the Houthis and has repeatedly confiscated smaller and less sophisticated weapons as they cross.
According to officials, the USS Forest Sherman was carrying out routine naval operations when the sailors noticed a boat that did not show the state flag. The navy and coast guard stopped, boarded the boat for inspection and found weapons.
Officials did not give the exact number of missiles or components, but described them as huge.
Officials said the boat was dragged to the port, and the people on it were taken to the Yemeni Coast Guard. Weapons are still aboard the American ship.
