The US Central Military Command (Centcom) announced on Thursday that a US Navy ship in the Arabian Sea had confiscated a shipment of weapons from Iran last January heading to Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
Centcom explained, in a statement published on the X website, that it had confiscated “advanced conventional weapons and other lethal aid originating from Iran and destined for Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen from a ship in the Arabian Sea on January 28.”
The statement added that the shipment contains more than 200 packages that include missile components, explosives and other devices.
The same statement quoted Centcom leader Michael Eric Corella as saying, “This is another example of Iran’s malicious activity in the region.”
He added, “Their continued supply of advanced conventional weapons to the Houthis…continues to undermine the safety of international shipping and the free flow of trade.”
Since November 19, the Houthis have been carrying out attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea that they suspect are linked to Israel or heading to its ports. They say that this comes in support of the Gaza Strip, which has been witnessing a war between Hamas and Israel since October 7.
To try to deter them, American and British forces launched three waves of strikes on their sites in Yemen since last January 12. The US Army alone carries out strikes from time to time on missiles that it says are prepared for launch.
Following the Western strikes, the Houthis began targeting American and British ships in the region, considering that the interests of the two countries had become “legitimate targets.”
The Houthi attacks affect navigation and have caused an increase in the cost of insurance for shipping companies, forcing many to avoid this vital route through which 12 percent of global maritime trade passes.
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2024-02-15 13:42:42
