US Navy Seizes Weapons in Arabian Sea Likely Bound for Yemen

Weapons that the U.S. Navy described as coming from a hidden arms shipment aboard a stateless dhow are seen aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey, on May 8, 2021. U.S. Navy via AP

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—The U.S. Navy announced on May 9 that it seized an arms shipment of thousands of assault weapons, machine guns, and sniper rifles hidden aboard a ship in the Arabian Sea, apparently bound for Yemen to support the country’s Houthi rebels.

An American defense official told The Associated Press that the Navy’s initial investigation found the vessel came from Iran, again tying the Islamic Republic to arming the Houthis despite a United Nations arms embargo. Iran’s mission to the U.N. didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, though Tehran has denied in the past giving the rebels weapons.