Four foreign nationals accused of transporting Iranian-made weapons on a vessel intercepted by the U.S. Navy SEALs have been brought to the U.S. to face criminal charges.
The defendants, Muhammad Pahlawan, Mohammad Mazhar, Ghufran Ullah, and Izhar Muhammad, appeared in court on Thursday after being taken into custody when a U.S. Navy ship intercepted their boat in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 11.
The vessel, bound for Yemen, was carrying what is believed to be Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry. The interception occurred during a nighttime raid by a team of SEALs from the USS Lewis Puller and a U.S. Coast Guard response team.
They seized the unflagged boat and its cargo, which included propulsion and guidance components for medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles, as well as a warhead.
The weapons were likely intended for Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been responsible for numerous attacks on commercial and military vessels in recent months.
In addition to the four defendants, eight of the 10 remaining witnesses are also in U.S. custody. The defendants face charges related to the transport of weapons in violation of international law.
The case underscores ongoing concerns about the proliferation of weapons in the region and the role of Iran in supporting armed groups like the Houthis in Yemen.
