French naval forces have seized thousands of assault rifles, machine guns, and anti-tank missiles earlier this month in the Gulf of Oman coming from Iran heading to 

French naval forces have seized thousands of assault rifles, machine guns, and anti-tank missiles earlier this month in the Gulf of Oman coming from Iran heading to Yemen’s Houthi rebels

, French naval forces captured thousands of assault rifles, machine guns, and anti-tank missiles earlier this month in the Gulf of Oman on their way from Iran to Yemen's Houthi rebels. This was the most recent interception in the Middle Eastern country's protracted battle.

Although Iran did not immediately recognize the seizure, pictures of the weapons provided by the U.S. military's Central Command showed they were similar to others found in prior shipments linked to Tehran that had also been discovered by American soldiers.

The declaration comes as Iran is under increasing pressure from the West over its transfer of drones to Russia during its war in Ukraine, as well as for its bloody, months-long crackdown on demonstrators. Following a rumored Israeli drone attack on a military factory in the Iranian city of Isfahan, in the country's center, regional tensions have also increased. The Islamic Republic has launched retaliation attacks at sea in previous cycles of violence following the failure of Iran's nuclear agreement with international powers.

The seizure took place on January 15 in the Gulf of Oman, an expanse of sea that runs from the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf's narrow mouth, to the Arabian Sea and then the Indian Ocean. The interception, according to U.S. Central Command, took place "along routes traditionally utilized to smuggle illegal weapons from Iran to Yemen."

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who seized control of the nation's capital in late 2014 and have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition supporting the nation's internationally recognized government since March 2015, are prohibited from receiving arms transfers under a United Nations resolution.

The elite French special forces were the ones responsible, according to the Wall Street Journal's initial story on the seizure. The French were responsible for the seizure, according to a regional official with knowledge of the interdiction who spoke to The Associated Press under the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the operation's specifics in public.

When contacted for comment regarding the seizure of the weapons, the French military remained silent. Questions about the seizure were not immediately answered by Iran's UN representation or by U.S. Central Command. Despite having a naval base in Abu Dhabi, France generally adopts a more subdued stance in the area and keeps a diplomatic mission in Iran.

Although Western countries, U.N. specialists, and others have linked night-vision scopes, weapons, and missiles to Tehran, Iran has consistently denied arming the Houthis. On a ship from Iran headed to Yemen, the U.S. Navy said in November that it discovered 70 tons of a component used in missile fuel concealed among bags of fertilizer. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have already been hit by ballistic missile fire from the Houthis.

A variety of armaments were visible on board an unidentified ship that seemed to be docked at a port in images acquired Wednesday by U.S. Central Command and examined by the AP. The weapons looked to include PKM-pattern machine guns, Type 56 rifles made in China, and Molot AKS20Us made in Russia. All have been spotted in earlier weapons seizures that Iran is blamed for.

578,000 rounds of ammo and more than 3,000 guns were taken, according to Central Command. 23 container-launched anti-tank missiles, which have also been discovered in past shipments linked to Iran, were also shown in the photographs that were made public.

The conflict in Yemen has essentially reached a standstill and given rise to one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in history. Nevertheless, the Yemen Data Project reports that there haven't been any Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen since the country declared a cease-fire at the end of March 2022.

Even if diplomatic efforts to extend the cease-fire failed, it expired in October. Fears that the war would get worse again resulted from this. In Yemen, combat has resulted in more than 150,000 deaths, including more than 14,500 civilians.

France seizes Iran's assault rifles, and missiles heading to Yemen

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