US Navy halts Iranian smuggling vessel, finds over 2,000 assault rifles - Fox News

The U.S. Navy seized much than 2,000 battle rifles aft halting a suspected smuggling vas connected its mode from Iran to Yemen, the Navy announced Tuesday.

The USS Chinook deployed a boarding squad to the vas successful the Gulf of Oman with enactment from the USS Monsoon and USS The Sullivans connected Jan. 6, discovering a unit of Yemeni nationals. The U.S. confiscated 2,116 battle rifles and is successful the process of repatriating the vessel and its crew, according to a Navy statement.

"This shipment is portion of a continued signifier of destabilizing enactment from Iran," said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commandant of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. "These threats person our attention. We stay vigilant successful detecting immoderate maritime enactment that impedes state of navigation oregon compromises determination security."

The Yemeni-crewed vessel was the 3rd sportfishing vas to beryllium recovered smuggling lethal assistance from Iran to Houthi rebels successful Yemen since November. U.S. forces besides seized much than 50 tons of ammunition rounds, fuses and propellants for rockets connected Dec. 1. USS The Sullivans, USS Hurricane and USCG John Scheuerman besides intercepted much than 70 tons of chemicals utilized to marque rocket propellant and explosives connected Nov. 8.

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An Iranian smuggling vas halted by U.S. Navy forces.

The U.S. Navy confiscated 2,000 battle rifles being smuggled retired of Iran to Yemen. (NAVCENT Public Affairs)

The U.S. Navy routinely patrols communal smuggling routes successful the Gulf of Oman. Iranian vessels smuggling weapons to Yemen indispensable question eastbound done the gulf earlier heading southbound to Yemen.

International instrumentality and the U.N. Security Council prohibition the nonstop oregon indirect supply, merchantability oregon transportation of weapons to Houthi rebels successful Yemen.

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The U.S. Navy has a agelong past of interactions with Iranian vessels successful the country arsenic well. Three Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy vessels (IRGCN) confronted a U.S. convoy successful the Strait of Hormuz successful June 2022, with 1 of the vessels closing wrong 50 yards of the USS Sirocco.

"One of the IRGCN vessels approached Sirocco head-on astatine a dangerously precocious velocity and lone altered people aft the U.S. patrol coastal vessel issued audible informing signals to debar collision. The Iranian vas besides came wrong 50 yards of the U.S. Navy vessel during the interaction, and Sirocco responded by deploying a informing flare," the U.S. Navy said of the incident.

U.S. Navy servicemen transportation 2,000 battle rifles confiscated from an Iranian smuggling vessel. (NAVCENT Public Affairs)

2,000 battle rifles confiscated by the U.S. Navy from Iranian smugglers. (NAVCENT Public Affairs)

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U.S. warships fired informing shots astatine Iranian boats during a akin brushwood successful May 2021.