Navy SEALs deployed on a covert mission intercepted a shipment of Iranian missile components headed to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the U.S. announced Tuesday.
The SEALs conducted a nighttime raid on a dhow, a small sailing boat, off the coast of Somalia in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a release.
The U.S. team boarded the dhow from helicopters and were supported by drones during the raid.
CENTCOM said the team seized air defense components and warheads for medium range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles that were bound for the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen to continue attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea.
“It is clear that Iran continues shipment of advanced lethal aid to the Houthis. This is yet another example of how Iran actively sows instability throughout the region,” CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Kurilla said in a statement.
The dhow was sunk by the U.S. Navy, and 14 crew members were taken prisoner by American troops in the raid, with their release or detention to be decided in the future according to international law, CENTCOM said.
The U.S. said the seizure is the first of Iranian missile components since the Houthis began attacking boats in the Red Sea in November. It’s also the first raid on advanced Iranian missile parts since 2019.
The secret operation first came into light last week, when two U.S. Navy SEALs went missing off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden on the evening of Jan. 11.
The SEALs were part of the raiding team on the USS Lewis B. Puller, an expeditionary sea base vessel. The sailors were boarding a special combat operations boat when one SEAL was knocked off by rough waters and another jumped in, in a rescue attempt.
The search for the sailors is ongoing as of Tuesday, according to CENTCOM.
“We are conducting an exhaustive search for our missing teammates,” Kurilla said.
The seizure is likely to escalate tensions with Iranian and Houthi forces as they fight against the U.S. and Israel in the Middle East. Iran is fighting back against the U.S. through its various proxy groups in the region.
The Houthis have attacked commercial boats in the Red Sea about 30 times since Nov. 19 and have continued the attacks since the U.S. launched strikes on the rebel group’s capabilities in Yemen.