Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
On Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that Yemen’s National Resistance Forces (forces loyal to the Yemeni government) successfully thwarted the largest smuggling operation of advanced conventional Iranian weapons en route to the Houthi group.
In an official statement, the US command congratulated the Yemeni National Resistance Forces on this achievement, describing the operation as “the largest in their history” in terms of the quantity and quality of seized weapons.
According to the statement, Yemeni forces intercepted and confiscated over 750 tons of ammunition and military equipment. This included hundreds of advanced missiles, among them cruise missiles, anti-ship, and anti-aircraft missiles, in addition to warheads, guidance systems, hundreds of drone engines, air defense systems, radars, and communications equipment.
The National Resistance noted that the thwarted shipment contained manuals in Persian, and many of the systems were found to be manufactured by an Iranian Ministry of Defense company subject to US sanctions. This equipment was being smuggled for use by the Iran-backed Houthi group.
The Resistance emphasized that this operation is part of its commitment to implementing UN Security Council resolutions and its efforts to protect Yemen’s security and the stability of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
For his part, CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla stated, “We commend the legitimate Yemeni government forces who continue to interdict the flow of Iranian munitions to the Houthis.”
He added, “The interdiction of this shipment once again demonstrates that Iran remains the largest source of instability in the region. Stemming this flow is essential for regional security and freedom of navigation.”
