US blocks shipment of suspected Iranian missile parts to Houthi

The US military announced the seizure of a batch of suspected Iranian missile parts being transferred to Houthi forces in Yemen in the Arabian Sea.

"On January 11, naval forces seized a vessel transporting advanced lethal weapons from Iran to Houthi forces in Yemen," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said today. The location of the seizure was international waters in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of Somalia.

According to CENTCOM, the shipment included Iranian-made ballistic and cruise missile components, such as propulsion engines, guidance equipment and warheads, and air defense system components. Initial analysis suggests the Houthis used similar weapons to attack cargo ships traveling through the Red Sea.

The US Navy then sank the cargo ship. The 14 people on board the cargo ship are being handled in accordance with international law.

Iranian officials and Houthi forces in Yemen have not commented on the information.

CENTCOM also confirmed that two SEALs went missing off the coast of Somalia last week while attempting to board the cargo ship. CENTCOM chief Michael Kurilla said a "comprehensive search operation" had been launched to locate the two.

Equipment seized by US forces from a cargo ship in the Arabian Sea on January 11. Photo: X/@USCENTCOM — Equipment seized by US forces from a cargo ship in the Arabian Sea on January 11. Photo: *X/@USCENTCOM*

The Houthis control large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. They are at odds with a Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

This force increased attacks on cargo ships passing through the Red Sea after the war in the Gaza Strip broke out in early October 2023, to pressure Israel to stop its campaign against Hamas, the Houthi ally in the anti-Tel Aviv resistance axis in the Middle East.

The US launched two airstrikes on Yemen in two consecutive days in response. In the first attack on January 12, the US, in coordination with the UK, used more than 150 missiles and guided bombs to bomb nearly 30 locations in Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

The second wave of airstrikes took place in the early hours of January 13 on a smaller scale. The US announced that it acted unilaterally, while the Houthis insisted that the attack did not cause any damage or casualties. The armed group declared the US military had an "illegal presence" in the area and warned that it would attack US bases.