ALBAWABA - U.S. naval authorities seized a shipment of illegal weapons, including missiles, suspected of being Iranian-made.
Joint efforts by U.S. and British naval authorities led to the seizure of suspected weapons from a smuggling boat in international waters in the Gulf of Oman last month.
Coordinated efforts among ?? and ?? maritime forces led to Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster (F229) confiscating packages that included Iranian versions of Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, known in Iran as “Dehlavieh,” and medium-range ballistic missile components. pic.twitter.com/wVH1MdSEvK
— U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) March 2, 2023
The weapons shipment included Iranian versions of the Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, known as "Dehlavieh," and medium-range ballistic missile components.
According to international media reports, a U.S. intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance plane spotted a boat coming at high speed from Iran and was tracked by a British helicopter.
Coordinated efforts among ?? and ?? maritime forces led to Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster (F229) confiscating packages that included Iranian versions of Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, known in Iran as “Dehlavieh,” and medium-range ballistic missile components. pic.twitter.com/wVH1MdSEvK
— U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) March 2, 2023
The boat tried to sail into Iranian territorial waters when it received a call for inspection from the British Royal Navy. It was stopped and its shipment was confiscated.
The weapons underwent examination to ensure that they were safe enough to be sent to Britain for further inspection.
Washington has repeatedly accused Tehran of undermining the security and safety of maritime navigation after several attempts from Iran to target commercial ships bound for the United States.
Last year, there were two similar incidents in which the British Royal Navy confiscated Iranian weapons.
