The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced that its navy forces, while conducting flag verification, carried out a night-time seizure of a vessel “illegally transporting advanced lethal aid from Iran to supply Houthis,” per the official statement.

US Navy Seals boarded the vessel, a dhow, and seized Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components, warheads for Houthi medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), as well as air defense associated components.

The statement added that 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 Nov. 2023.

The dhow was deemed unsafe and sunk by the US navy. 14 crew members were on board and will be dealt with “in accordance with international law,” per the statement.