July 7. (EUROPA PRESS) –
UK authorities on Thursday unveiled a seizure of weapons sent by Iran to the Houthis in Yemen, including surface-to-air missiles, and highlighted that the operation, the first of its kind by London, was carried out between January and February of this year.
The British Ministry of Defense has indicated in a statement that the ship ‘HMS Montrose’ intercepted a boat carrying the weapons after locating small boats off the coast of Iran, while detailing that the American destroyer ‘USS Gridley’ supported efforts with a helicopter to assist in monitoring tasks.
“The UK is committed to international law, whether it’s tackling aggression in Europe or preventing illegal arms shipments that perpetuate instability in the Middle East,” said British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey. “The UK will continue to work in support of a lasting peace in Yemen and is committed to international maritime security so that commercial ships can transit safely and without threat,” he explained.
The seized weapons were transferred to the UK for “technical analyses” which revealed that they included components for missiles with a range of 1,000 km used by the Houthis to carry out attacks against Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition backing the Houthis. internationally recognized authorities.
The war in Yemen pits forces loyal to the internationally recognized authorities against the Iranian-backed Houthis who control Sana’a and parts of the country’s north and west. The conflict has worsened on several fronts in recent months despite international mediation efforts, in a war that has caused what is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
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