The US on Saturday accused Iran of trying to smuggle more than a million rounds of ammunition and rocket parts into Yemen after a major weapon was destroyed at sea.
A US warship delivered 50 tons of weapons from a fishing trawler on a key maritime smuggling route used by Tehran, US officials said.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. Navy Central Command, based in Bahrain, said: “This important ban is a clear sign of Iran’s continued illegal lethal aid transfers and destabilizing actions. there is,” he said.
“The U.S. Navy remains focused on deterring and disrupting dangerous and irresponsible maritime activities in the region.”
The seizure by USS Lewis B Puller personnel is the second major illegal weapons shipment in a month for the US Fifth Fleet.
A search party aboard during a routine inspection found more than one million rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 25,000 rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition, approximately 7,000 rocket proximity fuzes, and over 2,100 kilograms of propulsion used to launch rocket-propelled grenades. found the drug.
For years, Tehran has helped train and arm Houthi rebel groups that control about a third of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. The group has made repeated pushes to occupy the oil-rich Malibu district.
The 5th Fleet intercepted a fishing vessel illegally transporting weapons from Iran to Yemen when the US Coast Guard’s John Schuerman and the guided-missile destroyer USS Sullivans intercepted the vessel in the Gulf of Oman on November 8. Did.
Over 70 tons of ammonium perchlorate were discovered in a week-long investigation assisted by Navy explosives disposal technicians. Ammonium perchlorate is a strong oxidizing agent commonly used to make rocket and missile fuels and explosives.
The US military also found over 100 tons of urea fertilizer. It is a compound with agricultural uses that is also known for its use as an explosive precursor.
Updated: Dec 3, 2022 at 4:57 PM
