The US military said Tuesday it had seized Iranian-made missile parts destined for Houthi rebels from a boat in the Arabian Sea, the first such seizure since the Houthis began attacks on commercial ships.
“This is the first seizure of lethal advanced conventional weapons (ACW) supplied by Iran to the Houthis since the Houthis began attacks on merchant ships in November 2023,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. US Army in a statement.
Deemed dangerous, the boat was removed
This operation, carried out on January 11, made it possible to seize weapons including “components of ballistic missiles and cruise missiles,” the press release said. This text also indicates that two American navy soldiers, missing off the Somali coast since Thursday evening, had taken part in the operation. They are two members of the Navy Seals, an elite commando force. “Intensive searches” are still underway to locate them, said Michael Kurilla, head of the American military command for the Middle East, Central and South Asia (Centcom).
The two sailors were on a mission with the United States 5th Fleet which operates in a wide area including the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean. Its headquarters is located in Manama, Bahrain. The missile parts were seized aboard a dhow, a traditional Arab sailboat, operated by a crew of 14 people. The boat was sunk, the US Army General Staff said.