The U.S. Accuses Two Iranian Brothers and a Pakistani of Arms Trafficking

The United States has accused two Iranian brothers affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of terrorist crimes related to the deaths of two American sailors during an inspection of a vessel in the Arabian Sea. According to an indictment issued by the U.S. federal prosecutor on Thursday, August 9, Shahab and Younes Mirkazahi, along with Mohammad Pahlavan, the Pakistani captain of the mentioned boat, are accused of trafficking materials needed for Iran's weapons of mass destruction program. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the two brothers are fugitives, but Mohammad Pahlavan and three crew members of his boat have been in custody since December of last year following a U.S. Navy operation and inspection of their vessel in the Arabian Sea. At that time, the U.S. Navy reported that two American sailors were climbing aboard a vessel when one fell into the water due to a wave, and the other jumped in after him, but both went missing. The U.S. Navy confirmed the deaths of the two sailors weeks later after announcing the end of its search operation. This incident occurred before the Gaza war and the Houthis' entry into the conflict through attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Prior to that, the U.S. Navy regularly conducted deterrent missions in the waters of this region to intercept and seize ships carrying weapons to the Houthis in Yemen or to prevent pirate attacks on vessels.