The U.S. Navy announced on February 13 that it had seized a large cache of Iranian weapons off the shores of Yemen.
Guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) boarded the boat that was carrying the Iranian arms while conducting maritime security operations in the U.S. Central Command (CENCTOM) area of operations.
“The weapons seized include 150 ‘Dehlavieh’ anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), which are Iranian-manufactured copies of Russian Kornet ATGMs. Other weapons components seized aboard the dhow were of Iranian design and manufacture and included three Iranian surface-to-air missiles, Iranian thermal imaging weapon scopes, and Iranian components for unmanned aerial and surface vessels, as well as other munitions and advanced weapons parts,” CENCTOM said in an official statement.
A video showing the operation and several photos showing some of the weapons seized during it were shared by the U.S. Navy.
U.S. warship seizes 3 Iranian surface-to-air missiles, 150 anti-tank missiles,thermal imaging scopes, drone components and other weapons bound for Yemen.
USS Normandy nabbed the weapons while on patrol in the Arabian Sea. (Video: U.S. Navy) pic.twitter.com/7uUWXnHVRx
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) February 13, 2020
#US Navy seizes a cache of weapons bound for #Yemen‘s #Iran-backed Houthi members, Pentagon says, including 150 anti-tank missiles & other arms “of Iranian design and manufacture” such as surface-to-air missiles, weapon scopes, and drone parts.
? pic.twitter.com/IBAsldhDrT— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) February 13, 2020
The CENTCOM said that the Iranian-made weapons were en-route to the Houthis in a violation of UN Security Council Resolution that prohibits the direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of weapons to the Yemeni group.
Last November, the U.S. Navy seized a very similar shipment of Iranian-made weapons that was also on its way to the Houthis.
These operations by the U.S. Navy are a perfect example of Washington’s continues military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
