US says it seized Iranian ‘advanced conventional weapons’ bound for Houthis

By Gozde Bayar

The US seized “advanced conventional weapons” bound for Yemen’s Houthis last week, the US military said on Tuesday.

“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 forces in Yemen as part of the Houthis’ ongoing campaign of attacks against international merchant shipping,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X.

“U.S. Navy SEALs operating from USS LEWIS B PULLER (ESB 3), supported by helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), executed a complex boarding of the dhow near the coast of Somalia in international waters of the Arabian Sea, seizing Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components,” it added.

The seized items include "propulsion, guidance, and warheads for Houthi medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), as well as air defense associated components," CENTCOM said.

“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,” it said.

The US military said this is the first seizure of Iranian-supplied “advanced conventional weapons” to the Houthis since the group started attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea in November 2023.

It was also the first seizure of “advanced Iranian-manufactured ballistic missile and cruise missile components” by the US Navy since November 2019, it added.

CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said: “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,” Kurilla added.

On Saturday, the US renewed airstrikes in Sanaa, one day after attacks were carried out by Washington and London against targets in areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen.

After the attacks on Friday, which resulted in five deaths and six injuries among the Houthis, the group vowed that all American and British interests have become “legitimate targets” for its forces in response to their “direct and declared aggression” against Yemen

The Houthis have targeted vessels in the southern Red Sea and warned they will attack all Israeli-bound ships. They said the attacks are meant to support Palestinians as they face Israel's "aggression and siege" in Gaza.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.