An Iranian vessel carrying weapons and experts destined for Houthi rebels in Yemen has vanished in the Red Sea, according to Arab media reports. The ship, which was transporting missile assembly equipment, has been missing for four days after entering the Red Sea from the Horn of Africa. The disappearance has sparked worry among Houthi leadership in Sanaa, who fear the vessel may have fallen into American hands.
A vessel involved in smuggling foreign experts and military materials for missile production intended for the Houthis in Yemen has disappeared in the Red Sea, according to a report by the Emirati newspaper Al-Ain Al-Akhbariya. "Iranian experts and senior Houthi security leaders took part in a special meeting held in Sanaa to review and discuss a report on the large vessel lost in the Red Sea," the Emirati newspaper wrote.
Security sources in Yemen revealed that the Houthi militias lost contact with the large transport vessel that was on a smuggling mission along a regular sea route from Horn of Africa countries before continuing into the Red Sea. It was further reported that Yemeni security sources confirmed the ship was expected to arrive in Yemen on Friday but vanished on Saturday. The Houthis, lacking a robust navy, mobilized small boats and drones for the search, but their fishing boats lacked the necessary technology for such operations. No distress calls were identified.
For years, Iran has been accused of supplying the Houthis with weapons and expertise to develop long-range missiles and drones. The shipments, often disguised as commercial vessels, have occasionally been intercepted by the US Navy and other international forces. The Iranian media outlet Iran International speculated that the ship might have been targeted by a US-backed mission aimed at protecting Red Sea vessels from Houthi attacks amid the blockade the terrorist organization has launched since November. Another possibility raised suggests that Israel might be behind the operation that led to the vessel's disappearance.
