The US Fifth Fleet announced Sunday the seizure of an arms shipment of thousands of assault weapons, machines guns and sniper rifles hidden aboard a ship in the Arabian Sea, apparently bound for Yemen to support the Iran-backed Houthi militias.
Fifth Fleet spokesperson Rebecca Rebarich told Asharq Al-Awsat the forces had intercepted previous similar shipments that were bound to the Houthis.
Asked about the latest shipment, she said that the concerned authorities were probing the matter.
She clarified that the shipment was seized in the waters between Oman and Pakistan.
The illegal shipment, she went on to say, was on board a vessel that was not raising any flag or carrying any form of identification of its nationality.
This provided the Fleet with reason to investigate it in line with international laws, Rebarich stressed.
An American defense official told The Associated Press that the Navy's initial investigation found the vessel came from Iran, again tying Tehran to arming the Houthis despite a United Nations arms embargo.
Sailors boarded the dhow and found the weapons, most wrapped in green plastic, below deck.
The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey discovered the weapons aboard what the Navy described as a stateless dhow in an operation that began Thursday in the northern reaches of the Arabian Sea off Oman and Pakistan.
Sailors found nearly 3,000 Chinese Type 56 assault rifles, a variant of the Kalashnikov. They recovered hundreds of other heavy machine guns and sniper rifles, as well as dozens of advanced, Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles. The shipments also included several hundred rocket-propelled grenade launchers and optical sights for weapons.
The original source and intended destination of the materiel is currently under investigation. The materiel is in US custody awaiting final disposition. Assessment of the findings will be an interagency effort, the Fifth Fleet said.
After all illicit cargo was removed, the dhow was assessed for seaworthiness, and after questioning, its crew was provided food and water before being released, it added.
The US Navy conducts routine patrols in the region to ensure the free flow of commerce for legitimate traffic, disrupt the transport of illicit cargo that often funds terrorism and unlawful activity, and safeguard the rules-based international order, it stated.
Sunday’s operation was the first to take place during the term of President Joe Biden. His administration has prioritized resolving the Yemeni crisis. In February, it appointed Tim Lenderking as special envoy to Yemen and he has since visited the region five times.
Lenderking has repeatedly accused Iran of arming the Houthis and providing them with military training, actions that are destabilizing Yemen. He has slammed Iran for failing to provide any positive role in Yemen.
In 2014, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 2140 that imposes an arms embargo on the Houthis.
