Aden (South24 Center)

Yemeni naval forces have intercepted a large shipment of weapons allegedly coming from Iran and destined for the Houthi group via the Red Sea, a senior Yemeni military commander announced on Wednesday (July 16). It is one of the largest such interception operations announced since the war began. 

Brigadier General Tariq Saleh, Vice President of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and commander of the National Resistance Forces, stated in a post on social media platform X that his forces seized a vessel carrying approximately 750 tons of advanced weapons and military equipment headed for the Houthis

He said that the confiscated shipment included naval and aerial missile systems, air defense systems, modern radars, drones, eavesdropping devices, anti-tank missiles, B10 cannons, tracking lenses, sniper rifles, and various ammunition.

750 طنًا من الأسلحة تتوزع بين منظومات صاروخية بحرية وجوية، ومنظومة دفاع جوي، ورادارات حديثة، وطائرات مسيّرة، وأجهزة تصنت، وصواريخ مضادة للدروع، ومدفعية بي 10، وعدسات تتبُّع، وقناصات وذخائر، ومعدات حربية، سيطرت عليها بحرية المقاومة الوطنية بعد رصد ومتابعة شعبة الاستخبارات في… pic.twitter.com/YKu7VY8MQQ

— طارق محمد صالح (@tarikyemen) July 16, 2025

Saleh explained that the operation followed precise intelligence monitoring and tracking, and vowed to continue confronting what he described as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s projects in Yemen.

No immediate comment was issued by the Houthi group or Iranian authorities regarding these claims.

The Yemeni government and the Saudi-led military coalition accuse Iran of supplying weapons to the Houthis, which Tehran has denied.

In a related context, the Al-Mahra Governorate Police reported that on Tuesday (July 15), its forces seized devices and equipment suspected of military use while being smuggled to the Houthis via the Shahan land border crossing.

A statement from the Al-Mahra Security Department said that the seized items, found inside a travel agency, included electronic devices, metal rods, and connecting wires.

The statement added that the devices were confiscated and deposited at Shahan Security Department, while procedures are being completed to refer the suspects and seized items to the competent judicial authorities.

Over the past years, smuggling operations of advanced weapons to the Houthi group have been reported via the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as through land crossings in Al-Mahra Governorate adjacent to Oman, despite the UN embargo imposed under Security Council resolutions.

The U.S. Navy has also repeatedly announced interceptions of weapons-smuggling vessels in Yemeni territorial waters. In January 2023, the U.S. Central Command stated it had seized more than 2,000 AK-47 assault rifles aboard a ship bound for the Houthis.

In February of the same year, another shipment containing hundreds of shells and missile components was seized. Washington considers these shipments as evidence of Iran's continued support for the group.