U.S. combat command, allies intercept 3,000 assault rifles from Iran to Yemen

Feb. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Central Command assisted in stopping a large shipment of weapons from Iran to Yemen.

More than 3,000 assault rifles and 578,000 rounds of ammunition were intercepted in the Gulf of Oman on Jan. 15, CENTCOM reports.

The route that the shipment was discovered on is one that is often used to traffic weapons from Iran to Yemen, the agency said. The shipment also included 23 advanced anti-tank missiles.

CNN reports that the French military also was involved with the seizure.

"U.S. 5th Fleet assets assisted partner maritime forces in the interdiction by sharing information and helping coordinate the overall effort," 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Tim Hawkins told CNN. "We also ultimately took custody of the confiscated weapons through a ship-to-ship transfer with partner forces."

CENTCOM and fellow navies have seized more than 5,000 weapons and 1.6 million rounds of ammunition bound for Yemen from Iran in four seizures over the last two months. On Jan. 6, six Yemeni nationals were spotted on the Gulf of Oman carrying more than 2,100 AK-47s, according to a press release.

"The illegal flow of weapons through international waterways has a destabilizing effect on the region," said Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, CENTCOM commander. "We are committed to the security and stability of the region and the enforcement of international law."

Weapons intercepted en route to Yemen increased drastically beginning in 2021, CENTCOM said. About 9,000 weapons were seized that year, a 200% increase.