Yemeni naval forces seize alleged ‘Iran-supplied’ military equipment in Red Sea

Yemeni naval forces seized a vessel in the Red Sea carrying military equipment allegedly smuggled from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the Houthi group, local media reported Thursday, Anadolu reports.

The vessel was intercepted Wednesday evening while carrying equipment used in the manufacture of drones, Yemen TV reported, citing the military media of the National Resistance Forces.

Hours later, naval patrols detected five Houthi boats attempting to approach islands overlooking the international shipping lane in the Red Sea, the report said.

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The forces engaged the boats and forced them to retreat north toward the coast of the Houthi-held city of Hodeidah.

A Houthi drone conducting reconnaissance ahead of the boat movement was also shot down, according to the report.

The incident comes amid continued clashes between Yemeni government-aligned forces and the Houthis, who control the capital Sanaa and large parts of northern and western Yemen.

Yemen has remained divided since the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military coalition to intervene in support of the internationally recognized government in 2015.

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