The US reportedly seized a large consignment of machine guns and ammunition that a fishing vessel was trying to smuggle out of Iran. American sailors on board identified 1,400 Kalashnikov assault rifles and 226,600 rounds of ammunition, the crew consisted of five Yemeni citizens.
Note that the West and the UN have repeatedly accused Iran of smuggling weapons for the Houthis, which allowed them, among other things, to launch missiles at neighboring Saudi Arabia. Tehran denies arming the Houthis
“The direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of weapons to the Houthis violates UN Security Council resolutions and US sanctions,” the US 5th Fleet said in a statement.
The confiscated weapons were handed over to the missile destroyer USS O’Kane, after which the fishing vessel was sunk due to the danger it posed to commercial shipping. The Yemeni crew will be sent home.
The war in Yemen began in 2014 when the Houthis took over the capital Sana’a and much of the north of the country. Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE and other countries, have waged a military campaign to restore an internationally recognized government and drive out the rebels.
The war claimed the lives of about 130,000 people and led to a major humanitarian disaster.
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