British navy seizes Iran missiles and parts likely bound for Yemen

The British navy has seized anti-tank missiles and fins for ballistic missile assemblies during a raid on a small boat heading from Iran likely to Yemen, authorities say, the latest such seizure in the Gulf of Oman.

The seizure by the Royal Navy comes after other seizures by French and US forces in the region as Western powers increase their pressure on Iran, which is now enriching uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. It also comes as regional and international powers try to find an end to the yearslong war gripping Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, and as Iran arms Russia in its war on Ukraine.

The raid took place February 23 after an American aircraft detected a small motorboat with cargo covered by a gray tarp heading from Iran, with a helicopter from the Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster chasing the vessel as it ignored being hailed by radio, the British Defense Ministry says. The boat tried to reenter Iranian territorial water, but was stopped before it could.