The incredible cache of weapons including ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads being sent from Iran to the Houthi rebels is being revealed after US Navy SEALs seized dhow in a daring night raid off the coast of Somalia as the search for two during the lost sailors' mission continues
US Navy SEALs have seized a shipment of deadly weapons, including nuclear warheads for ballistic and anti-ship missiles that Central Command says were sent by Iran to arm Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
Two sailors were lost at sea during the daring overnight attack off the coast of Somalia on January 11, and a desperate search has been on for them ever since.
The SEALs were on the USS Lewis B. Puller, a Navy expeditionary ship at sea, and traveled in small special operations combat craft piloted by Navy Special Operations crews to reach the boat.
As they boarded in rough seas around 8 p.m. local time, a SEAL slipped while trying to climb a ladder, reportedly being knocked into the sea by high waves, and a teammate chased after him.
The team that managed to board the small boat, known as a dhow, was confronted by a dozen crew members, who were taken into custody before the boat was searched and a cache of weapons was discovered.
The Deadly Catch Is Iran's First Delivery of Advanced Conventional Weapons (ACW) to the Houthis, According to USCENTCOM
The US Central Command has shared photos of some of the dhow's cargo, which was reportedly raided on January 11
US Navy SEALs seized and sank the ship – known as a dhow – after deeming it 'unsafe'
The SEALs were on the USS Lewis B. Puller, a Navy expeditionary ship at sea, and traveled in small special operations combat craft piloted by Navy Special Operations crews to reach the boat.
Navy SEALs completed a “complex boarding” of the dhow in international waters of the Arabian Sea, USCENTCOM said, supported by helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The weapons were seized and the boat scuttled, a routine procedure that usually involves blowing holes in the hull.
According to USCENTCOM, the deadly haul is Iran's first delivery of advanced conventional weapons (ACW) to the Houthis.
ACWs are advanced, modern weapons that the US wants to limit the proliferation of “to prevent destabilizing accumulations of military capabilities.”
“It is clear that Iran continues to provide advanced lethal assistance to the Houthis,” USCENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla said.
The seizure is “yet another example of how Iran is actively sowing instability throughout the region,” he added.
The direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of weapons to the Houthis in Yemen violates UN Security Resolution 2216 and international law, the US has stressed.
The commander added: “We will continue to work with regional and international partners to expose and interdict these efforts, and ultimately restore freedom of navigation.”
It is also the first seizure of advanced Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missile components by the US Navy since November 2019, as tensions in the region reach boiling point.
Photos released by US Central Command appear to show contraband among fishing nets and other equipment
A defense official said the dhow's crew planned to transfer the missile parts, including warheads and engines, to another boat off the coast of Somalia.
The Navy recognized the boat as one with a history of transporting illegal weapons from Iran to Somalia, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not been made public.
It comes after a recent US seizure of more than 2,100 assault rifles from a ship also discovered in the Gulf of Oman.
The last published mission was part of a VBSS (visit, control, search and seizure) operation, which is typically carried out by some of the military's most highly trained elite soldiers.
General Kurilla said the two lost sailors were directly involved in the operation.
“We are conducting an extensive search for our missing teammates,” he said today.
U.S. officials have said the waters in the Gulf of Aden are warm and that Navy SEALs are trained for such emergencies.
Yesterday, naval ships, helicopters and drones were involved in the ongoing search.
The US Navy has conducted regular interdiction missions in the region, including intercepting weapons on ships bound for the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
Officials have said the SEAL mission was not related to Operation Prosperity Guardian, the ongoing U.S. and international mission to provide protection for commercial ships in the Red Sea, or the retaliatory strikes the United States and United Kingdom have carried out in Yemen over the past two days.