US Navy SEALs Seize Shipment of Suspected Iranian Missile Parts Believed to Be for Yemen’s Houthis

The vessel that carried Iranian-made missile components bound for Yemen's Houthi in the Arabian Sea. U.S. Central Command via AP

A U.S. Navy SEAL team has boarded and seized a boat carrying what the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) suspects is a shipment of Iranian weapons intended for the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen.

The SEAL team, operating from USS Lewis B Puller (ESB 3), and supported by helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, boarded a dhow in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia on Thursday, Jan. 11, according to a statement shared by CENTCOM on Tuesday. Once aboard the small vessel, the SEAL team reportedly seized suspected Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missile components, including propulsion, guidance, and warhead components for medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles like those that the Houthis have used in recent attacks targeting commercial shipping.