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U.S. forces last week seized a boat loaded with Iranian missile components destined for Houthi rebels in Yemen, Pentagon officials confirmed Tuesday morning, in a dangerous operation that saw two Navy SEALs lost in the rough waters of the Arabian Sea.
The Jan. 11 Navy operation came as the U.S. and its allies scramble to stop the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen from continuing their attacks against commercial ship traffic in the Red Sea and nearby waters. As part of the effort, U.S. forces seized a small ship — known as a “dhow” — sailing near the coast of Somalia. The military’s U.S. Central Command said the dhow was loaded with Iranian-made “propulsion, guidance, and warheads for Houthi medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles, as well as air defense associated components.”
“Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea,” CENTCOM said in its statement.
It’s the first time the U.S. Navy has seized Iranian-manufactured ballistic missile and cruise missile components since November 2019, officials said.
But the mission came at a cost. Two SEALs previously reported as being lost at sea were directly involved with the Jan. 11 mission, officials said.
“We are conducting an exhaustive search for our missing teammates,” said the CENTCOM commander, Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla.
It was first revealed last week that two sailors had gone missing at sea, but all of the details were not clear until Tuesday. The first SEAL was knocked into the water by high waves when climbing up the side of a vessel, according to The Associated Press. The other SEAL jumped in the water to try to rescue them.
The ship was later sunk by U.S. forces. The fate of its 14 crew members isn’t entirely clear.
“Disposition of the 14 dhow crew members is being determined in accordance with international law,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The Houthis have launched nearly 30 attacks on commercial shipping over the past two months. On Monday, Houthi rebels struck a U.S.-owned cargo ship traveling off the country’s coast near the Gulf of Aden on Monday. No injuries were reported.
A day earlier, the Houthis fired a missile toward the USS Laboon, a warship traveling through the southern Red Sea. The missile was shot down and did not cause any damage or injuries, U.S. officials said.
U.S. and British forces struck Houthi positions in Yemen last week. During the initial rounds of bombing last Thursday night, U.S. and British troops hit 28 separate locations and destroyed more than 60 individual Houthi targets, Pentagon officials said.
The U.S. launched a follow-up strike on Friday that hit a Houthi radar site.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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