JERUSALEM – U.S. Navy SEALs seized Iranian-made missile parts and different weaponry from a boat bound for Yemen’s Houthi rebels in a raid remaining week that noticed two of its commandos move missing, the U.S. military mentioned Tuesday.
The raid marks the latest seizure by the U.S. Navy and its allies of weapon shipments bound for the rebels, who’ve introduced a sequence of assaults now threatening world industry in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over Israel’s conflict on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The seized missile elements incorporated varieties most probably used in the ones assaults.
The assaults, U.S.-led retaliatory moves and the raid all have raised tensions around the wider Middle East, which additionally noticed Iran conduct ballistic missile strikes in both Iraq and Syria.
The SEAL raid took place remaining Thursday, with the commandos launching from the USS Lewis B. Puller sponsored by means of drones and helicopters, with the U.S. military’s Central Command pronouncing it came about in the Arabian Sea.
The SEALs discovered cruise and ballistic missile elements, together with propulsion and steerage gadgets, in addition to warheads, Central Command mentioned. It added that air protection parts additionally have been discovered.
“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 mentioned in a commentary.
Images launched by means of the U.S. military analyzed by means of The Associated Press confirmed elements comparable to rocket motors and others in the past seized. It additionally incorporated what gave the impression to be a cruise missile with a small turbojet engine — a kind utilized by the Houthis and Iran.
The U.S. Navy in the end sunk the send sporting the guns after deeming it unsafe, Central Command mentioned. The send’s 14 workforce were detained.
The Houthis have now not said the seizure and Iran’s undertaking to the United Nations didn’t in an instant reply to a request for remark.
A United Nations solution bans hands transfers to Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Tehran has lengthy denied arming the rebels, in spite of physical evidence, numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons back to Iran.
Since November, the Houthis have time and again centered ships in the Red Sea, pronouncing they have been avenging Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have got regularly centered vessels with tenuous or no transparent hyperlinks to Israel, imperiling transport in a key path for world industry.
U.S.-led airstrikes centered Houthi positions on Friday and Saturday. In reaction, (*2*) in the Gulf of Aden, additional elevating the dangers in the struggle.
The SEALs traveled in small particular operations fight craft pushed by means of naval particular conflict workforce to get to the boat. As they have been boarding it in tough seas, round 8 p.m. native time, one SEAL were given knocked off by means of top waves and a teammate went in after him. Both stay missing.
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