US forces sink dhow transporting Iranian missile parts for Houthi rebels
Seized items included propulsion, guidance and warheads for missiles and air defence-associated components. (Photo: US CENTCOM)
The sinking marked the first seizure of lethal, Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons to the non-state military group since the beginning of Houthi attacks against merchant ships in November 2023.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced that US Navy SEALs operating from USS Lewis B Puller (ESB 3) sank a small boat transporting ‘advanced lethal aid’ from Iran to resupply Houthi forces in Yemen.
Supported by helicopters and UAVs, SEALs “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”, CENTCOM noted in a written statement shared with media on 16 January.
The operation was conducted on 11 January during a flag verification. This is the first seizure of lethal, Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons to
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