US sinks boat carrying ‘explosive materials’ from Iran to Yemen

MANAMA: The US navy said on Tuesday it had scuttled a boat transporting “explosive materials” from Iran to supply Huthi rebels in Yemen, with enough power to fuel a dozen ballistic rockets.

The boat, which the US navy seized on November 8 in the Gulf of Oman was sunk on Sunday, the Bahrain-based United States Fifth Fleet said.

“The vessel and its four Yemeni crew members were intercepted while transiting from Iran along a route historically used to traffic weapons to the Huthis in Yemen,” the US navy statement read.

US forces discovered more than 100 tonnes of urea fertiliser and over 70 tonnes of ammonium perchlorate, a key ingredient “commonly used to make rocket and missile fuel as well as explosives”, it said. “The unlawful transfer of lethal aid from Iran does not go unnoticed,” he added.