AL-MUKALLA: The US Navy said on Tuesday that it intercepted a shipment of sophisticated weaponry from Iran headed for the Houthis in Yemen, the first big seizure of its kind since the start of the militia’s Red Sea attacks.
This comes after the Houthis threatened to strike all US and UK commercial and naval ships in retribution for the two nations’ strikes on Yemen.
US Central Command said on Jan. 11 that US Navy forces stormed a dhow in international waters of the Arabian Sea near the Somalian coast that was transporting sophisticated lethal weapons from Iran to the Houthis.
The weapons found on the dhow consisted of propulsion, guidance, and warheads for Houthi medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles, in addition to air defense-associated components.
“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,” CENTCOM said in a statement, adding that this is the first weapons capture since November, when the Houthis initiated assaults on ships in the Red Sea, and the first substantial interception of advanced Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missile components since late 2019.
Two US Seals who participated in the mission got lost at sea, and US Navy Marines destroyed the dhow after designating it unsafe, arresting 14 crew members.
Shortly after CENTCOM announced the interception, Yemen’s government accused Iran of continuing to provide the Houthis with modern weaponry and demanded that Iran be punished for breaking international law.
“Yet again another example of the Iranian flagrant violation of international law by continuing to supply the #Houthis with lethal weapons. #Iran must be held accountable!” the Yemeni Embassy in Washington D.C. said on X.
The announcement came a day after the Houthis threatened that all American and British commercial and naval ships would be targeted in response to the two nations’ attacks in regions controlled by them.
“All American and British ships and warships involved in the attack against our nation are considered hostile targets by the Yemeni armed forces,” Yahya Sarea, the Yemeni militia’s military spokesman, said on Monday while claiming credit for a missile assault on a US commercial ship southeast of Aden.
Since November, the Houthis have seized a commercial ship and launched over two dozen missile and drone attacks on commercial and naval ships, preventing any Israel-bound ships from passing through the Red Sea.
The Houthis claim that their strikes and the prohibition are intended to push Israel to halt its deadly bombing and siege of Gaza.
Elisabeth Kendall, Middle East expert and head of Girton College, University of Cambridge, told Arab News that by targeting US Navy and commercial vessels, the Houthis have strategically positioned themselves to give the impression that their actions are a retaliatory response to US strikes.
She suggested that the belief among many that the US assisted the Houthis in maintaining high morale could potentially encourage them to continue their attacks and that they would unlikely step back as they are confident the US would not enter another land war in the Middle East, especially during an election year.
“The damage that the US can do by airstrikes is limited and the Houthis have significant experience of hiding their weaponry among civilian populations. If the US were to kill civilians, the region risks becoming inflamed. The Houthi position therefore remains strong, indeed perhaps even stronger after the US airstrikes,” she said.
