ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The British Royal Navy seized cruise missiles from an Iranian vessel earlier this year in waters south of Iran, in a first of its kind interception, the UK revealed on Thursday.
UK Royal Navy ship HMS Montrose in early 2022 "seized Iranian weapons from speedboats being operated by smugglers in international waters south of Iran," the defense ministry stated.
The confiscation of the weapons likely bound for Yemen took place on January 28 and February 25, marking the first time a British navy warship seized an Iranian vessel carrying such "sophisticated weapons" from Iran.
The confiscated projectiles included "surface-to-air missiles and engines for land attack cruise missiles," it added. The weaponry seized included the 351, a cruise missile with a 1,000 kilometer range, the same type used by Yemen’s Houthis to target Saudi Arabia and in an attack on Abu Dhabi in January which killed three civilians.
The statement provides some of the most detailed evidence showing that Iran is providing sophisticated weapons to the Houthis to fight against the Saudi-led coalition, despite a UN Security Council arms embargo on Yemen.
“The UK will continue to work in support of an enduring peace in Yemen and is committed to international maritime security so that commercial shipping can transit safely without threat of disruption,” James Heappey, Minister for the Armed Forces, said.
According to the statement, a US navy ship assisted the interdiction efforts by "deploying a Seahawk helicopter to provide critical overwatch during the operation" after HMS Montrose's Wildcat helicopter sighted the Iranian speedboats rapidly maneuvering away from the Iranian coast.
There has been no comment from Iran about the report.
Iranian ships have been previously seized.
In January, the US seized a "stateless" vessel transiting from Iran in the Gulf of Oman carrying explosive materials. The ship was stopped along a route infamously used to smuggle weapons to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
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