Yemeni National Resistance Force Seizes 750-Ton Weapons Shipment from Iran to Houthis; Iran Denies

The Yemeni National Resistance Force (NRF), a pro-American anti-Houthi group, has intercepted a 750-ton weapons shipment from Iran destined for Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Officials have described it as the largest recorded transfer of Iranian conventional weapons.

CENTCOM stated that NRF units under the command of Major General Tareq Saleh, nephew of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, carried out the operation. The NRF is not formally part of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

The shipment, intercepted while en route from an Iranian port, included hundreds of advanced cruise, anti-ship, and anti-aircraft missiles, warheads, seeker components, drone engines, radar systems, air defense equipment, and military communications gear.

“This is the largest shipment of advanced conventional Iranian weapons in history,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla added, “The interception of this massive Iranian shipment demonstrates that Iran remains the most destabilizing actor in the region. Limiting the free flow of Iranian weapons to the Houthis is critical to regional security, stability, and freedom of navigation.”

CENTCOM released a second official update reaffirming the volume and sophistication of the captured weapons, which have raised new alarms over Iran's role in arming regional groups.

The seizure comes amid increased Houthi attacks on international shipping routes. Since October 2023, the Houthis have launched multiple missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. They claim the actions are in solidarity with Palestinians during the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denied any link to the weapons shipment, calling the U.S. claims “baseless” and part of an “anti-Iran propaganda campaign.” He accused Washington of using such incidents to justify its military presence in the region and deflect from what he called “Israeli crimes” in Gaza and elsewhere.

“Such claims are made to provide a pretext for continued U.S. and Israeli destabilizing behavior in the region,” Baghaei said.