The British navy announced on Thursday that it seized anti-tank missiles and fins for ballistic missile assemblies during a raid on a small boat heading from Iran to Yemen in the Gulf of Oman. The seizure by the Royal Navy is the latest in a series of similar seizures in the region by French and American forces, as Western powers increase pressure on Iran following the United Nations’ finding that Tehran has enriched uranium closer to weapons-grade levels.
The raid took place on February 23, with a helicopter from the Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster giving chase to the vessel after a United States aircraft detected it. The boat attempted to re-enter Iranian territorial waters but was stopped before it could. On board, British troops found Russian anti-tank guided missiles and small fins identified as jet vanes for medium-range ballistic missiles. Such weapons have been previously seized and suspected to be bound for Yemen.
The war in Yemen, one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, has deteriorated into a deadlock, and Iran has been accused of arming the Houthi rebels in violation of a UN resolution banning arms transfers to them. Iranian state media has not yet commented on the recent seizure.