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Published January 21, 2024, 7:05 PM ET
WASHINGTON – The 10-day search to rescue two Navy SEALs who were lost in the Arabian Sea while boarding a ship and seizing Iranian-made weapons has ended and the sailors are now presumed dead, the U.S. military said Sunday with.
In a statement, US Central Command said the search had now been converted into a recovery operation. The names of the SEALs have not been released pending family notifications.
Ships and aircraft from the United States, Japan and Spain continuously searched more than 21,000 square miles with support from the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, the U.S. Coast Guard's Atlantic Area Command and the University of San Diego – Scripts Institute of Oceanography and, according to the military the Office of Naval Research.
“We mourn the loss of our two Marine special warfare warriors and will forever honor their sacrifice and example,” said Gen. Erik Kurilla, chief of U.S. Central Command. “Our prayers go out to the families of the SEALs, their friends, the U.S. Navy and the entire special operations community at this time.”
According to officials, the Jan. 11 raid targeted an unflagged ship that was illegally transporting Iranian-made weapons for Yemen's Houthi rebels. Officials said as the team boarded the ship, one of the SEALs went down in the heavy seas and a teammate went in to try to rescue him.
This undated photo released by the U.S. military's Central Command shows the alleged ship carrying Iranian-made missile components destined for Yemen's Houthis in the Arabian Sea. AP
Iranian-made missile components for Yemen's Houthis have seized a ship in the Arabian Sea. AP
The commandos launched from the USS Lewis B. Puller, a mobile sea base, and were supported by drones and helicopters. They loaded onto small special combat boats piloted by a Marine special operations team to get to the boat.
During the raid, they seized a number of Iranian-made weapons, including cruise missile and ballistic missile components such as propulsion and guidance devices and warheads, as well as air defense parts, the Central Command said.
It was the latest seizure of arms shipments by the U.S. Navy and its allies for the rebels, who have launched a series of attacks that are now threatening global trade in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden linked to Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip . The seized missile components included types likely used in these attacks.
The U.S. Navy eventually sank the ship carrying the weapons after deeming it unsafe, Central Command said. The ship's 14 crew members were arrested.
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