Two Navy SEALs went missing in the Arabian Sea during a ship boarding operation that intercepted Iranian weapons headed for Houthi forces in Yemen, U.S. Central Command announced on Tuesday.
On Jan. 11, a SEAL team operating from the expeditionary sea base USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3) boarded a dhow off the coast of Somalia and discovered weapons parts, reads the statement.
“Seized items include propulsion, guidance, and warheads for Houthi medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), as well as air defense associated components. Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea,” reads the statement.
“This is the first seizure of lethal, Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons (ACW) to the Houthis since the beginning of Houthi attacks against merchant ships in November 2023. The interdiction also constitutes the first seizure of advanced Iranian-manufactured ballistic missile and cruise missile components by the U.S. Navy since November 2019.”
Following the seizure, the dhow was deemed “unsafe” and was sunk and the 14 crew aboard were detained, according to CENTCOM.
The two SEALs who are missing were part of the night boarding operation.
“We are conducting an exhaustive search for our missing teammates,” Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, said in the statement.
USCENTCOM Seizes Iranian Advanced Conventional Weapons Bound for Houthis
On 11 January 2024, while conducting a flag verification, U.S. CENTCOM Navy forces conducted a night-time seizure of a dhow conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi… pic.twitter.com/yg4PuTZBh7
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 16, 2024
Nighttime boarding operations at sea are among the most complicated missions for special operations forces, a former SEAL told Task and Purpose last week.
“It’s the sketchiest thing I did in the teams,” a former SEAL told the news outlet.
The statement from CENTCOM is the first acknowledgement Lewis Puller has been part of the Middle East naval presence operations the U.S. has mounted since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel.
Based on an oil tanker design, the sea base serves as a host platform for mine countermeasures and special operations forces. Puller’s large flight deck can accommodate a variety of helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles to support the special operators.
The following is the complete statement from U.S. Central Command.
On 11 January 2024, while conducting a flag verification, U.S. CENTCOM Navy forces conducted a night-time seizure of a dhow conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi forces in Yemen as part of the Houthis’ ongoing campaign of attacks against international merchant shipping.
U.S. Navy SEALs operating from USS Lewis B Puller (ESB 3), supported by helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), executed a complex boarding of the dhow near the coast of Somalia in international waters of the Arabian Sea, seizing Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components. Seized items include propulsion, guidance, and warheads for Houthi medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), as well as air defense associated components. Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea.
This is the first seizure of lethal, Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons (ACW) to the Houthis since the beginning of Houthi attacks against merchant ships in November 2023. The interdiction also constitutes the first seizure of advanced Iranian-manufactured ballistic missile and cruise missile components by the U.S. Navy since November 2019. The direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of weapons to the Houthis in Yemen violates U.N. Security Resolution 2216 and international law.
Two U.S. Navy SEALs previously reported as lost at sea were directly involved in this operation. “We are conducting an exhaustive search for our missing teammates,” said General Michael Erik Kurilla, USCENTCOM Commander.
The dhow was deemed unsafe and sunk by U.S. Navy forces. Disposition of the 14 dhow crewmembers is being determined in accordance with international law.
“It is clear that Iran continues shipment of advanced lethal aid to the Houthis. This is yet another example of how Iran actively sows instability throughout the region in direct violation of U.N. Security Resolution 2216 and international law,” said General Michael Erik Kurilla, “We will continue to work with regional and international partners to expose and interdict these efforts, and ultimately to reestablish freedom of navigation.”
