A dhow crossing the southern Red Sea on February 12 was carrying a 40 ft container packed with military hardware, and Yemen’s Coast Guard stopped it. US Central Command said so in a post on X. The cargo, reportedly from Iran, was bound for Hodeidah, the port the Houthis control.
What was inside matters. The container held cruise missile structures, jet engines of the type used in cruise missiles and suicide drones, and reconnaissance drones. Marine radars, a jamming system and a wireless communications system were also aboard, Lloyd’s List reported.
CENTCOM praised the Coast Guard on Sunday. It described the seizure as keeping “Iranian advanced weapon components, drones, and communications gear” from reaching “the Iranian backed Houthi terrorists.” Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which the Coast Guard serves, carried out the interdiction.
The timing
The Houthis had announced a near-total halt to attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea on January 19, the day a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect. Their last reported strike on commercial vessels came in December, when drones and missiles were fired at a convoy of US-flagged ships and US warships.
The group has not abandoned its threats. Yemen Online reported that the Houthis warned they would resume attacks on Israel and on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden if the Gaza ceasefire collapses. Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023, they have targeted ships, saying they act in solidarity with Gaza’s “resistance” against Israel.
Officials have not said whether more such seizures are planned.
Sources
- Yemen Coast Guard intercepts military equipment destined for Houthis
- Yemen : gov't Coast Guard intercepts Iranian weapons sent to Houthis – Yemen Online |
