Coalition Says it Seized Iran Boat with Arms for Yemen Rebels
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Saudi-led coalition said on Wednesday it had seized an Iranian fishing boat in the Arabian Sea loaded with weapons destined for Shiite rebels it is fighting in Yemen.
A coalition statement said that the vessel was intercepted on Saturday and that 14 Iranians and weapons including anti-tank shells were found on board.
It said that papers found on board the boat showed that it was registered to an Iranian and was licensed for fishing by the Iranian authorities.
It listed the weapons seized as 18 anti-armored Concourse shells, 54 anti-tank BGM17 shells, 15 shell battery kits, four firing guidance systems, five binocular batteries, three launchers, one launchers' holder and three batteries.
The vessel was seized 150 nautical miles off the Omani port of Salalah, the coalition statement said.
Saudi Arabia and its coalition allies have repeatedly accused their Shiite rival Iran of arming the Huthi rebels who control swathes of Yemen, including the capital.
But despite operating an air and sea blockade for the past six months, they have not previously come up with any evidence.
The coalition intervened in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi when the rebels advanced on his last refuge Aden in March, prompting him to flee the country..
In May, an Iranian boat headed to the rebel-controlled Red Sea port of Hodeida with 2,500 tonnes of aid was diverted to Djibouti following warnings from the coalition and the United States.
Wednesday's announcement comes with relations between Riyadh and Tehran at a new low amid a war of words over a deadly stampede at this year's hajj in which at least 239 Iranian pilgrims were killed.
Tehran accuses Riyadh of serious safety lapses and has questioned its fitness to continue organizing the annual Muslim pilgrimage.
On Wednesday, Tehran summoned the Saudi envoy to demand the swift identification and repatriation of the bodies of Iranian pilgrims killed in last week's stampede.
Iran fears that 241 of its nationals who are unaccounted for may be among the bodies that have yet to be identified.
Its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has demanded that Saudi Arabia apologize to the bereaved and to the world's Muslims.
Riyadh has accused Tehran of playing politics with tragedy.
30 September 2015, 12:36
115
.... and nassrallah and his boy scout mowaten keep telling us Iran is not interfering in Yemen nor is it arming the huthi traitors.
30 September 2015, 18:18
22
besides have you seen the list of weapons? doesn't even qualify for a hunting trip, maybe a fishing trip max
30 September 2015, 18:23
22
on a more serious note, given the ongoing massacre of yemenis (including thousands of civilians) every country with a moral sense should be sending them weapons to defend themselves.
same as when israel was occupying lebanon and imposing its terror, it was Iran (+Syria) who supported us and gave us the means to free ourselves from their heinous intentions
30 September 2015, 19:58
00
it seems somebody told you when you were growing up that you were funny and you believed him.
30 September 2015, 21:50
20
"given the ongoing massacre of yemenis (including thousands of civilians) every country with a moral sense should be sending them weapons to defend themselves"
what an effing hypocrite this mooowaten is... exactly what he denied the syrian people being massacred by assad... TFEH on you... you are a shame....
30 September 2015, 22:03
10
Nobody cares about your spam mowaten, how about you find a more honest (and more fulfilling) way to earn your daily iranian rials?
30 September 2015, 12:49
104
not the first ship and won't be the last.
Hit them hard without mercy
30 September 2015, 13:21
62
but mowaten has an article from the Huffington post that he always posts to show Iran is not supplying the houthis with weapons.?
30 September 2015, 13:58
115
The #1 evil in the world is Iran, they need to get rid of Iran and every shee3a out there. Death to Iran and death to Khomeini.
