Anti-tank guided missiles and medium-range ballistic missile components seized by the United Kingdom Royal Navy sit pierside during inventory at a military facility in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Feb. 26, 2023. (Photo by Sgt. Brandon Murphy)
The Royal Navy has seized a shipment of weapons from a vessel traveling in the Gulf of Oman south from Iran, the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence announced on March 2.
In a statement, the ministry said that the smuggling vessel was first detected by a United States fixed-wing intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance platform. The vessel was then tracked by a Wildcat helicopter from HMS Lancaster. The vessel’s crew attempted to navigate to Iranian territorial waters. However, the vessel was bordered on February 23 by a team of Royal Marines before they could do so.
Upon inspection, packages include a number of anti-tank guided missiles, the Iranian versions of the Russian 9M133 Kornet that is known as “Dehlavieh,” and medium-range ballistic missile components were found.
-
- Impact sensor covers seized by the United Kingdom Royal Navy sit pierside during inventory at a military facility in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Feb. 26, 2023. (Photo by Sgt. Brandon Murphy)
-
- Anti-tank guided missile tubes seized by the United Kingdom Royal Navy sit pierside during inventory at a military facility in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Feb. 26, 2023. (Photo by Sgt. Brandon Murphy)
-
- Jet vanes seized by the United Kingdom Royal Navy sit pierside during inventory at a military facility in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Feb. 26, 2023. (Photo by Sgt. Brandon Murphy)
-
- Graphic illustration of medium-range ballistic missile components seized by the United Kingdom Royal Navy during an interdiction in the Gulf of Oman, Feb. 23, 2023. (Photo by U.S. Navy)
The interdiction occurred along a naval route historically used to transfer weapons and equipment to the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen.
The UK MoD said that the United Nations was informed about the seizure and invited to conduct its own inspection of the materiel, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 2216 and 2231.
“This seizure by HMS Lancaster and the permanent presence of the Royal Navy in the Gulf region supports our commitment to uphold international law and tackle activity that threatens peace and security around the world,” British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.
In mid-February, the UK said that it had presented the UN with evidence linking Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the smuggling of weapons to Yemen.
The Royal Navy retains a permanent presence in the Middle East. HMS Lancaster began operating in the region a few months ago. It carries a Royal Marine boarding party and Wildcat helicopter. An Auxiliary ship and three Mine Counter Measure Vessels are also operating there under the control of the UK Maritime Component Command.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
