The American army claimed, Thursday, February 15, to have intercepted a shipment of weapons coming from Iran to Yemen at the end of January. According to this same source, the intercepted ship was to resupply the Houthi rebels, who are increasing attacks against ships in the Red Sea, which they consider linked to Israel.
“A U.S. Coast Guard cutter, deployed to the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) area of responsibility, seized conventional and other lethal weapons originating from Iran and destined for Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in aboard a ship in the Arabian Sea on January 28,” Centcom said in a message posted on the social network X.
According to him, the cargo included "more than 200 packages containing medium-range ballistic missile components, explosives, drone components, military communications and network equipment, anti-tank guided missile launcher assemblies and other military components".
The United States had already announced that it had intercepted on January 11 a boat in the Arabian Sea carrying Iranian-made missile components intended for Yemen.
"This is yet another example of Iran's malign activity in the region," Centcom Commander Michael Erik Kurilla said, adding that the supply of weapons to the Houthi rebels was a "violation direct international law" and undermined "the security of international navigation and the free movement of goods".
“Legitimate targets”
Since mid-November, these insurgents supported by Tehran have increased attacks against ships off the coast of Yemen that they consider linked to Israel. The Houthis claim to be acting in "solidarity" with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is at war with the Islamist movement Hamas after the latter's unprecedented attack on October 7 on Israeli soil.
See also Tensions in the Red Sea: “The priority of shipowners remains the safety of the crews”
Their attacks have forced many shipowners to bypass the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, an area where 12% of world trade passes. Israel's first ally, Washington set up a multinational coalition in December to "protect" maritime traffic without managing to stop the attacks.
Since mid-January, the United States and the United Kingdom have carried out several strikes against rebel positions, who also designated American and British ships as "legitimate targets".
The US military said earlier in the day that it had carried out new raids in Yemen on Wednesday targeting missiles and drones "ready to be launched against ships in the Red Sea".
“On February 14 between 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), US Central Command forces successfully conducted four self-defense strikes against seven mobile anti-ship missile systems, three mobile drones and one drone naval surface explosive in areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis,” Centcom said on X.
These targets “represented an imminent threat to US naval vessels and merchant ships in the region,” he added. The Houthi press agency, Saba, reported on Wednesday "American-British strikes" in the regions of Saleef and Hodeida (west).
With AFP
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