The US Navy claims to have seized more than 2,000 assault rifles from a ship in the Gulf of Oman that was headed for the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen. The US Navy believes the assault rifles came from Iran.
The US Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, announced in a statement on Tuesday that the vessel “was crewed by six Yemeni nationals” when the cargo was discovered on Friday off the coast of Oman.
General Michael Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM, stated, “The illegal flow of weapons from Iran through international waterways has a destabilizing effect on the region.”
“We are committed to the region’s security and stability as well as international law enforcement.” Whether it comes by land, sea, or air, CENTCOM, along with our partners, will prevent and stop this kind of deadly material from entering the region.”
A team from the USS Chinook, a Cyclone-class coastal patrol boat, boarded a dhow, a traditional wooden sailing vessel, on Friday, which led to the seizure.
According to Navy spokesman Commander Timothy Hawkins, they discovered the Kalashnikov-style rifles individually wrapped in green tarps on board the ship.
Hawkins stated, “The vessel was on a route historically used to traffic illicit cargo to the Houthis in Yemen.” “When we intercepted the vessel, it was on a route.” The Yemeni crew verified the source.”
Hawkins added that the Yemeni crew will be returned to a region of Yemen controlled by the government.
Iranian officials did not respond right away.
The weapons appeared to be Chinese-made T-56 rifles and Russian-made Molot AKS20Us, according to experts who examined Navy photos. Type 56 rifles have been discovered in weapons caches that have been seized before. Green tarps of the same kind have also been used.
In 2014, the Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, took over Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. This prompted a Saudi Arabia-led coalition to intervene the following year.
Since 2015, arms transfers to the Houthi rebels have been prohibited by an arms embargo imposed by the United Nations.
On Jan. 6, U.S. Central Command forces intercepted a stateless dhow in the Gulf of Oman smuggling more than 2,000 AK-47 assault rifles while transiting international waters from Iran to Yemenhttps://t.co/Soc40vk7x2 pic.twitter.com/LC3f0P5yK1
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 10, 2023
End of ceasefire
A UN-brokered ceasefire that went into effect in April resulted in a significant decrease in fighting. The truce ended in October, but fighting has largely stopped.
Diplomatic efforts to extend the longest ceasefire during the conflict are ongoing. There are worries that the fighting could get worse again now that the truce has ended.
During the conflict in Yemen, more than 150,000 people, including approximately 14,500 civilians, have been killed. The impoverished nation is also on the verge of famine as a result of the war.
Despite the fact that international negotiators are attempting to find a political solution to the war, there have been sporadic attacks since the ceasefire expired.
The US Navy said last month that it had seized one million rounds of ammunition, rocket fuses, and propellant that were being smuggled from Iran to Yemen on a fishing trawler.
The Navy discovered 70 tons of a component for missile fuel in bags of fertiliser in November. The fertiliser was also said to have come from Iran and was headed for Yemen.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES