Four Middle Eastern Nationals to Be Tried in the U.S. for Attempting to Arm Houthis

On Thursday, February 23, the U.S. Attorney General announced that four nationals from Middle Eastern countries will be tried in the United States after being arrested on a seized ship in the Arabian Sea for attempting to send offensive weapons to the Houthis in Yemen. Merrick Garland, the U.S. Attorney General, stated that in addition to the four main defendants named Mohammad Pahlavan, Mohammad Mazhar, Ghafran Allah, and Azhar Mohammad, 10 others have also been detained as key witnesses and will appear in court. The U.S. Attorney emphasized that the Department of Justice will use all its legal powers to hold accountable those who threaten global security by transferring weapons from Iran to the Houthi rebel forces, Hamas, and other proxy groups of the Islamic Republic. Matthew G. Olsen, Deputy Attorney General for National Security, said, "Mr. Pahlavan, the main defendant in this case, attempted to smuggle advanced missile components, including a warhead, to the Houthi rebels, but the Department of Justice, along with other U.S. agencies, tirelessly thwarted this plan and deprived malicious actors of means to threaten international transport and endanger the lives of American men and women." The Director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also stated that the defendants were transporting Iranian-made missile parts for a type of weapon used by the Houthis in recent attacks, but with the help of allies, they have stopped and will continue to stop this illegal flow that threatens U.S. national security. Christopher Wray added, "The FBI will continue to investigate and disrupt Iran's efforts to send missile parts to the Houthis for use against military and commercial ships." The FBI Washington Field Office Director stated, "The trial of these individuals sends a message that the U.S. government will not tolerate any actions by representatives of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to harm Americans abroad." David Sanberg noted that the transportation of explosives with the intent to threaten and harm is another example of the destructive and hostile actions of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, adding, "The FBI and our other government partners will continue to disrupt the efforts of hostile foreign governments seeking to intimidate and harm through violence." The U.S. Central Command announced on January 10 that its forces, in a mission to disrupt arms trafficking to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, discovered and seized Iranian-made missile warheads and related components from a vessel near the Somali coast and subsequently sank the vessel. In this operation, two U.S. special forces also lost their lives. According to CENTCOM, ballistic and cruise missile components made in Iran were seized in this operation, which took place near the Somali coast in international waters of the Arabian Sea. Other seized items included propulsion systems, guidance systems, warheads for medium-range ballistic missiles of the Houthis, anti-ship cruise missiles, and components related to air defense. CENTCOM stated that initial analysis indicates that the Houthis have used these weapons to attack or threaten international commercial ships passing through the Red Sea.