Iran Denies Smuggling Weapons To Yemen
Anti-tank guided missile tubes seized by the United Kingdom Royal Navy sit pierside during inventory at a military facility in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Feb. 26, 2023. (Photo by Sgt. Brandon Murphy)
Iran has denied any links to a weapons shipment that was seized by the British Royal Navy in the Gulf of Omar last month with support from the United States Navy.
On March 3, Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, issued a statement refuting British and American claims linking Tehran with the weapon shipment, which included anti-tank guided missiles and medium-range ballistic missile components.
The spokesman said that the two governments that have historically been the primary perpetrators of war propaganda and the largest arms suppliers to war zones across the globe are now attempting to hoodwink public opinion by making untrue claims and disseminating lies.
“Instead of spreading false information and denying their responsibilities for the imposed war against the defenseless and oppressed Yemeni people,” Kanaani remarked, “such nations had better put an end to their opportunistic and profit-seeking approaches toward the oppressive war in Yemen.”
The boat carrying the weapons shipment was intercepted by HMS Lancaster of the Royal Navy on February 23 after being detected by a U.S. fixed-wing intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance platform.
The U.S. Navy 5th Fleet, which is based in Bahrain, said in a statement that the seizure occurred along a naval route that has traditionally been used to smuggle weapons to the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen.
Iran has long been accused of smuggling weapons, including guided missiles and drones, to the Houthis, a claim it denies. On the other hand, both the United Kingdom and the U.S. continue to support the Saudi-led war on Yemen, which has been ongoing for nearly eight years.
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