UK navy intercepts ‘Iran missiles’ likely headed for Yemen

Iran has lengthy been accused of smuggling weapons to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, with French and US ships additionally seizing shipments.

The British navy says it has seized anti-tank missiles and fins for ballistic missile assemblies throughout a raid on a small boat heading from Iran prone to Yemen, the newest such seizure within the Gulf of Oman.

The seizure by the Royal Navy, introduced on Thursday, comes after different seizures by French and American forces within the area as Western powers enhance their stress on Iran, after the United Nations discovered that Tehran has enriched uranium nearer than ever to weapons-grade ranges.

It additionally comes as regional and worldwide powers attempt to discover an finish to the years-long warfare gripping Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest nation, and as Iran arms Russia in its warfare on Ukraine.

The raid happened on February 23 after a United States plane detected a small boat heading from Iran, with a helicopter from the Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster giving chase to the vessel, the British Ministry of Defence mentioned. The boat tried to re-enter Iranian territorial water however was stopped earlier than it might.

Contained in the boat, British troops discovered Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, identified in Iran as “Dehlavieh”, the US Navy’s Mideast-based fifth Fleet and the British navy mentioned.

These weapons have been seen in different seizures suspected to be from Iran and sure for Yemen.

Additionally on board have been small fins that the US Navy recognized as jet vanes for medium-range ballistic missiles.

Iranian parts have helped construct a missile arsenal for Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who took management of the nation’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, from the Saudi Arabian-backed authorities.

A UN decision bans arms transfers to the Iranian-allied Houthis.

Tehran has lengthy denied arming the rebels, regardless of bodily proof, quite a few seizures and consultants tying the weapons again to Iran.

“This seizure by HMS Lancaster and the everlasting presence of the Royal Navy within the Gulf area helps our dedication to uphold worldwide regulation and deal with exercise that threatens peace and safety around the globe,” British defence minister, Ben Wallace, mentioned.

Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of the US fifth Fleet, mentioned in an announcement that this was the “seventh unlawful weapon or drug interdiction within the final three months and yet one more instance of Iran’s growing malign maritime exercise throughout the area”.

Iranian state media didn’t instantly acknowledge the seizure. Iran’s mission to the UN didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The warfare in Yemen has deteriorated largely right into a impasse and spawned one of many world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Nevertheless, Saudi-led air raids haven’t been recorded in Yemen for the reason that kingdom started a ceasefire on the finish of March 2022, in line with the Yemen Information Challenge.

That ceasefire expired in October regardless of diplomatic efforts to resume it.

That has led to fears the warfare might once more escalate.

Greater than 150,000 folks have been killed in Yemen throughout the preventing, together with over 14,500 civilians.