A joint American and British operation thwarts the smuggling of Iranian missiles to the Houthis
English - Thursday 02 March 2023 الساعة 05:55 pm
Aden, NewsYemen:
The US Navy, with the help and support of the British Royal Navy, managed to thwart a shipment of Iranian-made missiles that was on its way to the Houthi militia in Yemen.
According to a statement released by the US Navy, an illegal arms shipment that was on board a small boat that originated in Iran was seized.
He explained that the US Navy forces, with the support of air intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance of the British Royal Navy in the Gulf of Oman, were able to discover the shipment on February 23.
The statement indicated that the operation was coordinated and joint between the US and British naval forces participating in the joint forces stationed in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
During the inspection of the boat, packages were discovered that included Iranian copies of the Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missile, known in Iran as "Dehlavieh", and components for medium-range ballistic missiles.
According to the US Navy statement, the confiscation of the boat and the seizure of the cargo took place along a route historically used to illegally smuggle weapons into Yemen. The direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of arms to the Houthis in Yemen violates UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and international law.
"We will continue to work with our partners in pursuing any destabilizing activity that threatens regional maritime security and stability," Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, said in a statement.
He pointed out that the US and British navies regularly conduct joint maritime security operations to disrupt the flow of illegal shipments in the waters of the Middle East. Last year, the US destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101), Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose (F236) and combined air assets led the Royal Navy to capture surface-to-air missiles and land-attack cruise missile engines.
During the past months, the joint naval forces operating in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea managed to thwart a series of Iranian arms smuggling operations that were on their way to the Houthi militia in Yemen. In addition to thwarting and seizing large quantities of drugs, which are a major source of funding for Iranian arms in Yemen and other Arab countries.
According to previous statistics, the Combined Maritime Forces thwarted the smuggling of more than 5,000 weapons, 1.6 million rounds of ammunition, 7,000 fuses for rockets, 2,100 kilograms of fuel used to launch rocket-propelled grenades, and 30 anti-tank weapons.
Guided missiles, intermediate-range ballistic missile components, and illicit narcotics at a value of $80 million.
