The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday details regarding the seizure of Iranian weapons, including 171 surface-to-air missiles and eight anti-tank missiles, as well as nearly 1.1 million barrels of Iranian petroleum products. The U.S. Navy seized these weapons from two ships in the Arabian Sea during routine maritime security operations, which were found to be sent by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to the Houthis in Yemen, according to a statement from the department.
The Navy also seized Iranian petroleum products from four foreign-flagged tankers in the Arabian Sea or nearby, as they were heading to Venezuela. This represents the "largest seizure ever" of fuel and arms shipments from Iran, according to the department.
The United States stated that it sold the seized petroleum products under a court order. The financial proceeds, totaling approximately $27 million, have been directed to the "Victims of Terrorism Fund" in the United States.
The U.S. Central Command (NAVCENT) clarified that the weapons were seized from two unflagged vessels in the Arabian Sea on November 25, 2019, and February 9, 2020. The seized arms included 171 anti-tank guided missiles, eight surface-to-air missiles, components for land-attack cruise missiles, components for anti-ship cruise missiles, thermal optical equipment, and other missile and drone components.
Matthew Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division, stated, "The actions by the U.S. in these cases have dealt a significant blow to the Iranian government and the criminal networks supported by the Revolutionary Guard." He added, "The Department of Justice will continue to utilize all available tools to combat the threats posed by terrorist organizations and all those who seek to harm the United States and its allies."
In related remarks, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Matthew Graves, stated, "These cases demonstrate that we can not only disrupt the Revolutionary Guard's ability to finance its operations through oil sales, but we can also thwart its ability to use the proceeds from these sales to arm its terrorist proxies and export terrorism abroad."
Alan Kohler, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, noted that "the joint efforts of the FBI and our partners to seize missiles and over a million barrels of oil demonstrate our commitment to combating foreign terrorist organizations and enforcing U.S. sanctions."
