Two SEALs, the US Navy's elite force, were missing and declared dead during an operation on an Iranian ship against Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden. US military authorities confirmed what happened this Sunday (21).
The incident
The agents conducted a mission to board a small sailing ship after American intelligence received information that weapons from Iran were on their way to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Unfortunately, during the operation, a soldier slipped from the boarding ladder and fell into the water. A teammate jumped into the sea during a rescue attempt, but both were swept away by the current.
Search process
Ships and aircraft were used to search for the two missing soldiers. The search operation was a joint effort between the United States, Spain and Japan. “Our prayers are with the families of the Seals, the US Navy and the entire special operations community at this time,” said Michael Erik Kurilla, a general at the front of the US Armed Forces Central Command in a message on X, successor to Twitter.
Its consequences
During the American military's operation on the Iranian ship, components of Iranianmade ballistic and cruise missiles were seized. According to the American military, these weapons would be sent to Yemen, in violation of international law and a UN Security Council resolution. The two deaths are the first American casualties in the Middle East related to the IsraelHamas war, which recently passed its 100 days.
The Houthis, who support Hamas in the fight against Israel and are financed by Iran, control part of Yemen in a civil war that has been ongoing since 2014. In November last year they began attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea region. The United States attacked rebel targets in Yemen earlier this month in response to the Houthi offensive on ships in the Red Sea.