Iran has been accused of arms smuggling. However, the Iranian government denies any involvement in the alleged smuggling and has accused the Western allies of promoting “fake news.”
Seizure of Iranian-Made Weapons
The Royal Navy announced that it had seized Iranian-made weapons from a smuggling vessel off the coast of Oman on February 23, 2023. The British embassy in the United Arab Emirates claimed that the weapons included medium-range ballistic missile components and Iranian versions of Russia's Kornet anti-tank missile. This seizure took place along a route historically used to smuggle weapons to Yemen, according to the United States Fifth Fleet.
U.S. Vice-Admiral Brad Cooper has described this incident as "yet another example of Iran's increasing malign maritime activity across the region." He also pointed out that this was the seventh illegal weapon or drug interdiction in the last three months.
Iran's Denial and Accusations of Western Allies
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, has denied any involvement in arms smuggling. He accused the Western allies of attempting to divert attention from their own arming of a Saudi-led coalition that has waged a devastating campaign against Yemen's Iran-backed rebels since 2015. He also accused them of trying to mislead world public opinion by making false claims and promoting fake news.
Kanani stated, "The countries that have caused the death of people and the destruction of Yemen by sending billions of dollars' worth of weapons to the aggressor coalition cannot exonerate themselves by accusing others. The countries that have been the main perpetrators of war throughout history are trying to mislead world public opinion by making false claims and promoting fake news."
Saudi Arabia's Accusations Against Iran
Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of providing military support to the Yemeni rebels, especially rockets and missile components. Tehran has denied these allegations.
The Yemen conflict has caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people and left millions facing dire poverty and famine, according to the United Nations. The UN Security Council expanded an arms embargo on the Huthis in February 2022.
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