US military
Photo: Reproduction/@navy.seal.swcc
You US Iranianmade missile warheads were recovered during a boarding mission near Iran Somalia On the 11th, the supply of weapons to the militants was cut off YemenHowever, two elite Navy troops (SEALs) were lost at sea, according to defense officials.
A major search and rescue operation is underway in the Arabian Sea where the incident occurred. SEALs, the elite troops who killed the terrorist Osama Bin Laden In 2011, they boarded the vessel, described by authorities as a dhow (simple sailing vessel), without adequate identification because there were suspicions that there were weapons on board.
As the Washington Post and other media outlets have already reported, the nighttime operation, supported by helicopters and drones, took place in rough seas. When one of the SEALs slipped from a ladder while trying to climb aboard the dhow, the second, after seeing his companion fall into the water, jumped to help, authorities said. Both were swept away by the strong waves. None of them have been publicly identified.
As rescue operations began, other troops searched the boat, which had a crew of 14, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command on Tuesday. They were taken into custody. The dhow was deemed “unsafe” and was sunk, the statement said.
The seized items included Iranianmade ballistic and cruise missile warheads, propulsion and guidance systems, and air defense components. An “initial analysis” shows the weapons are consistent with those used by the Houthis to attack ships in the Red Sea, the statement said, accusing Iran and others involved of violating international law and a related U.N. resolution .
The origin of the ship and who was on board is not known with certainty. “The disposition of the dhow’s 14 crew members will be determined in accordance with international law,” the statement said. The operation was the first seizure of Iranianmade advanced ballistic components by the US Navy since 2019, the statement added. The Associated Press first reported some details of the seizure.
The episode highlighted an ongoing challenge facing the government Joe Biden and its international partners by pledging to hold Yemen's Houthis — and the militant group's main backer, Iran — accountable for the sharp increase in attacks that have significantly disrupted commercial shipping in the region. American and British forces struck dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen last week, hoping to deter further attacks. However, the Pentagon later acknowledged that the group likely continued to pose a threat.
The Houthis said their actions were a protest against Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip. The Biden administration is not ruling out future military action in Yemen but is trying to tread cautiously amid concerns that an overreaction could plunge the Middle East into a wave of violence.
U.S. forces in the region separately reported Monday that an American container ship was hit by a ballistic missile in the latest suspected provocation by the Houthis. The ship suffered “no significant damage” and its crew suffered no injuries, authorities said in a statement. A rocket fired from Yemen earlier in the day crashed before reaching the coast.
Senior US officials have accused Tehran of “facilitating” the crisis, which particularly affected merchant ships transiting the Red Sea. Without Iran's technical and intelligence support, officials say, the Houthis would not be able to threaten these sea routes.
According to a U.S. official, the SEALs launched their mission from the USS Lewis B. Puller, which serves as a floating base, and traveled to the dhow in a smaller ship. The dhow's crew did not have official documents allowing the U.S. boarding team to search the ship, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military mission.
Intercepting suspicious or enemy ships, known as Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS), is among the most difficult and dangerous tasks performed by highly trained troops. These operations typically involve approaching the suspect vessel in smaller boats and climbing aboard using ladders and climbing equipment, which can be complicated by rough waves and hostile crew members. U.S. forces regularly work with other nations' militaries to combat piracy and arms smuggling in the region.
Although it has been days since the two SEALs disappeared, the Pentagon remains hopeful that they will be found alive. The Gulf's waters were warm, officials said, noting that strong waves and exhaustion were a bigger problem than hypothermia.
“We are conducting a comprehensive search for our missing teammates,” Central Command chief Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in the statement.