Four crew members of an unflagged vessel are set to appear in a federal courtroom in Virginia following the interception of the vessel by U.S. officials in the Arabian Sea. The vessel was found to be carrying Iranian-made missile components, including parts for medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles.
The operation, which took place on January 11, involved U.S. Central Command Navy forces and Navy SEALs, along with members of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team. Tragically, two Navy SEALs lost their lives during the operation, with one SEAL slipping into the gap between the vessel and the combatant craft, prompting another SEAL to attempt a rescue.
Upon searching the vessel, U.S. forces discovered the advanced weaponry, which officials say is consistent with arms used by Houthi rebel forces in recent attacks on ships in the region. The crew members, all carrying Pakistani identification cards, are facing charges related to attempting to smuggle missile components and providing false information to authorities.
One of the crew members, Muhammad Pahlawan, is accused of knowingly attempting to smuggle a warhead that would be used by the Houthi rebels against commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. His codefendants are also facing charges related to providing false information during the boarding of the vessel.
Attorneys for the crew members have chosen not to comment on the case. Additionally, 10 other crew members are being detained under the federal material witness law due to the importance of their testimony in the ongoing criminal proceedings.
The FBI affidavit revealed that the crew members had been in communication multiple times via satellite phone with a member of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The upcoming court appearance is expected to shed more light on the details of this concerning incident.
