US military seizes Iranian missile parts bound for Houthi rebels in raid where 2 SEALs went missing
US Navy SEALs seized Iranian-made missile parts and other weaponry from a ship bound for Yemen's Houthi rebels in a raid last week that saw two of its commandos go missing, the US military said Tuesday. The raid marks the latest seizure by the US Navy and its allies of weapon shipments bound for the rebels, who have launched a series of attacks now threatening global trade in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The seized missile components included types likely used in those attacks.
The attacks, US-led retaliatory strikes and the raid all have raised tensions across the wider Middle East, which also saw Iran conduct ballistic missile strikes in both Iraq and Syria.
The SEAL raid happened last Thursday, with the commandos launching from the USS Lewis B Puller backed by drones and helicopters, with the US military's Central Command saying it took place in the Arabian Sea.
The SEALs found cruise and ballistic missile components, including propulsion and guidance devices, as well as warheads, Central Command said.
It added that air defense parts also were found.
«Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea,» Central Command said in a statement.
Images released by the US military analyzed by The Associated Press showed components resembling rocket motors and others previously seized.
It also included what appeared to be a cruise missile with a small turbojet engine — a type used by the Houthis and Iran.
The US Navy ultimately sunk the ship carrying the weapons after deeming it unsafe, Central Command said. The ship's 14 crew have been detained.
