Iran Risks Military Clash with U.S. Navy by Sending Weapons to Houthis

The New York Times reported on February 12 that Defense secretary Jim Mattis last week was exploring whether the U.S. Navy should “intercept and board an Iranian ship to look for contraband weapons possibly headed to Houthi fighters in Yemen.” But according to unnamed U.S. officials who spoke to the Times, Mattis ultimately decided to cancel the operation “at least for now” because the ship was in international waters in the Arabian Sea and also because news of the potential operation had leaked. Others told the Times that the operation might have been called off to avoid a potential firefight with the Iranian Navy in the early days of the Trump administration.

Comment: The news is the latest indication that Iran’s continued arms support for Houthi rebels in Yemen not only contributes to escalating tension between Tehran and regional Sunni Arab states, but it also risks provoking a dangerous military confrontation with the U.S.  naval forces in the region. The Trump administration has made it clear that it will not “sit by and not act” to counter Iran’s “destabilizing behavior across the Middle East.” Earlier this month, the administration put Iran officially “on notice” in reaction to the latter’s ballistic missile test and an attack on a Saudi frigate by Iran-supported Houthi rebels in Yemen.

While Iranian leaders predictably deny sending arms to the Houthis, the U.S. and its allies have provided ample evidence of Iranian weapons smuggled to the Yemeni rebels on several occasions since 2012. Last month, the Australian government released photographs that showed anti-armor weapons seized near the Yemeni coast manufactured in Iran. In November, a report published by the UK-based Conflict Armament Research (CAR) indicated an arms “pipeline” originating from Iran was reaching Yemen and Somalia. And in October, the head of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) responsible for safeguarding the waters off Yemen said American and allies forces had intercepted five weapons shipments from Iran destined for the Houthis in recent months.