Washington announces the seizure of Iranian weapons destined for the Houthis in the Gulf of Oman

Assault rifles and missiles from Iran bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen, seized in the Gulf of Oman from the deck of a military ship, Wednesday, February 1, 2023. AP - US military's Central Command

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The Pentagon announced on Wednesday a large seizure of Iranian weapons destined for Yemen, made in January by unidentified "Western allies" believed to be French special forces soldiers, according to the

.

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More than 3,000 rifles and 23 anti-tank guided missiles were seized during an operation that took place in January.

A photo shows the weapons spread out in dozens of rows on the deck of a military ship.

But Western forces remain discreet about the details of this intervention revealed by the United States.

► To read also: THE WORLD IN QUESTIONS Yemen: the forgotten war

According to the American central command which oversees operations in the Middle East, it was “ 

” who made this seizure.

And the

mentions French special forces, a role that Paris does not confirm.

The seizure is believed to have taken place in the Gulf of Oman, " 

", the statement said.

Tehran denies

All eyes are therefore on Tehran, which supports the Houthis.

This Yemeni rebel group succeeded in conquering part of the country, and in particular the capital Sanaa, standing up to an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

On Thursday, Tehran rejected the US charges, saying they were " 

 " and aimed to " 

 " public opinion.

Iran denies providing such military support to the Houthis, but several seizures of weapons, often concealed on fishing boats, have taken place in recent months.

And this one was more important than the previous one, at the beginning of January.

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• Yemen

• Iran

• United States