U.K. Warship Seizes Advanced Iranian Missiles Bound for Yemen
TimeNov 18, 2022
UK Announces Seizure of Iranian Weapons Bound for Yemen
Image copyright: DSTL Imagery [via The Telegraph]
The Facts
UK officials announced on Thurs. that the Royal Navy's HMS Montrose earlier this year had seized a shipment of Iranian advanced surface-to-air missiles and engines for land-attack cruise missiles in the Gulf of Oman.
The cargo was allegedly heading to Yemen. According to the UK Ministry of Defense, Houthis have fired this type of weapon against Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the past.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Having sold almost $10B of advanced weapons to the anti-Yemen coalition so far, Britain has no credibility to make such accusations against Iran. Though London blames Tehran for the humanitarian crisis and the conflict, it's Britain who is partnering with a war criminal coalition.
Pro-establishment narrative
This seizure confirms a longtime suspicion that Iran has been sneaking arms to Yemeni Houthis in a breach of the UN weapon embargo. By doing so, Tehran has been undermining peace efforts in the country and is prolonging the conflict.