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 in which two commandos went missing, the US military said on 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 to have been 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 carry out 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 defence parts were also 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 and analysed by the Associated Press showed components resembling rocket motors and others previously seized.
The haul 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 sank the ship carrying the weapons after deeming it unsafe, Central Command said. The ship’s 14 crew have been detained.
The Houthis have not acknowledged the seizure and Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A United Nations resolution bans arms transfers to Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
Tehran has long denied arming the rebels, despite physical evidence, numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons back to Iran.
Since November, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they are avenging Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas.
But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, endangering shipping in a key route for global trade.
US-led air strikes targeted Houthi positions on Friday and Saturday.
In response, the Houthis launched a missile at a US-owned bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden, further raising the risks in the conflict.
The Seals travelled in small special operations combat craft driven by naval special warfare crew to get to the boat.
As they were boarding it in rough seas, at around 8pm local time, one Seal got knocked off by high waves and a teammate went in after him. Both remain missing.
