US condemns arms smuggling from Iran to Yemen

The US State Department called the smuggling of weapons from Iran to Yemen a flagrant violation of UN sanctions and a clear example of “Iran’s malign activities.” A spokesperson for the department said Iran’s support for armed groups endangers global security.

The US State Department called the smuggling of weapons from Iran to Yemen a flagrant violation of UN sanctions. A spokesperson for the department said that Iran's support for armed groups in the region endangers global security.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price called the smuggling of weapons from Tehran to the Houthis in Yemen a clear example of "Iran's malign activities" in prolonging the war in Yemen.

Price emphasized in a statement that the Biden administration is committed to confronting this Iranian threat.

A US State Department spokesperson said: "Iran's support for armed groups in the region poses a threat to international and regional security, American forces, personnel, citizens, as well as Washington's partners in the region and elsewhere."

The US State Department statement said that the illegal shipment of weapons to Yemen is fueling Houthi attacks on Marib, exacerbating the plight of civilians and the war in Yemen.

A day earlier, the US Navy's Fifth Fleet announced that two of its coastal patrol vessels had seized a shipment of illegal weapons from a fishing boat flying an unflagged flag in the northern Arabian Sea, located in the northern Indian Ocean, on Monday.

According to the US Navy, the shipment in question contained approximately 1,400 AK-47 (Kalashnikov) weapons and more than 226,000 rounds of ammunition.

Washington has said that the five crew members of the vessel, who identified themselves as Yemeni, will be returned to Yemen.

The arms embargo on the Houthis was imposed in 2015. UN experts have previously warned that there is ample evidence that arms and equipment are being sent to the Houthis by individuals and legal entities in Iran.

Source: DW