British Navy seizes boat caught ferrying Iranian missiles on arms trafficking route to Yemen

The British Navy has seized anti-tank missiles and fins for ballistic missile assemblies during a raid on a small boat most likely heading from Iran to Yemen. The Iranian media has not immediately acknowledged the seizure.

According to the British defence ministry, the raid took place on February 23 after an American aircraft detected a small motorboat with cargo covered by a grey taro heading from Iran, with a helicopter from the Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster chasing the vessel as it ignored being hailed by video, the news agency AP reported on Thursday (March 2).

Inside the motorboat, British troops found Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, the US Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet and the British Navy said. The boat also had small fins which the US Navy identified as jet vanes for medium-range ballistic missiles, and impact sensor covers which go on the tip of those missiles.

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While the British did not identify where they suspected the weapons to go, the US Navy described the seizure as happening “along a route historically used to traffic weapons unlawfully to Yemen.”

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the seizure supported the country's "commitment to uphold international law and tackle an activity that threatens peace and security around the world.” On the other hand, the commander of the American 5th Fleet Vice Admiral Cooper said in a statement that this was the “seventh illegal weapon or drug interdiction in the last three months and yet another example of Iran’s increasing malign maritime activity across the region.”

A resolution from the United Nations bans arms transfer to Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Iran for long has denied arming the rebels, despite numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons back to Tehran, the AP report added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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