The two Navy SEALs who went missing in Somalia after one of them slipped while trying to climb a ladder were trying to board a ship smuggling Iranian weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen, it has been revealed.
The mission was part of a VBSS – visit, boarding, search and seizure – and is typically conducted by some of the military’s most highly trained elite soldiers.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CBS News on Sunday that they are working to disrupt Iranian arms shipments to the Houthis, but that they are not related to the US airstrikes on the militant group’s facilities.
Kirby said the search was “still ongoing,” but they hoped to get new information on Sunday.
The SEALs often work with military personnel from allied countries to prevent groups like the Houthis from smuggling weapons into the region.
The first military member slipped off the ladder into the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, officials said, and the second dove back in to help them.
The two Navy SEALs who went missing off the coast of Somalia after one of them slipped while trying to climb a ladder were trying to board a ship smuggling Iranian weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The SEALs often work with military personnel from allied countries to prevent groups like the Houthis from smuggling weapons into the region
It is unclear whether other military personnel were on the mission, whether they were able to board the ship and whether any weapons were found.
The military continues to conduct a search and rescue mission in the Gulf, known for its warmer waters and powerful waves.
Officials told the Washington Post hope remains to find the still unidentified personnel alive.
Yemen has become a staging area for rebel attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
The US Navy has conducted regular interdiction missions, intercepting weapons on ships bound for Houthi-controlled Yemen.
Sometimes they board ships to ensure they have the correct paperwork and are not transporting illegal goods.
The mission was not related to Operation Prosperity Guardian, the ongoing U.S. and international mission to provide protection to commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
It was also not related to Iran’s seizure of the St. Nikolas oil tanker, a third U.S. official said.
Two Navy SEALs are missing off the coast of Somalia after one of them slipped while trying to climb a ladder aboard a ship
According to US officials, the soldiers were on an interdiction mission and climbing into a ship when a ship was capsized by high waves in rough seas on Saturday. Depicted Navy SEALs on a mission
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CBS News on Sunday that they are working to disrupt Iranian arms shipments to the Houthis, but that they are not related to the US airstrikes on the militant group’s facilities.
In addition to defending ships against launched drones and missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the U.S. military has also come to the aid of commercial ships that have been targeted by piracy.
On Saturday, U.S. Central Command said in a statement that search and rescue operations were underway to locate the two sailors.
The command said it would not release any additional information about Thursday night’s incident until the personnel recovery mission is complete.
The Sailors were forward deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations supporting a wide range of missions.
Although not related, the mission coincides with the US unleashing a new wave of attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The blitz on Friday came a day after the first attacks on more than 60 targets used by the Iran-backed rebels to attack ships in the waters near the Arabian Peninsula.
The second round of bombings was much smaller in scale and targeted a Houthi radar facility, an official confirmed. It came after the Houthis fired at least one anti-ship missile earlier that day.
Biden had vowed to continue the bombardment if the Houthis refused to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea.
But protests broke out in New York City after demonstrators swarmed First Avenue near the United Nations Yemen Mission to condemn the attack.
The US launched a new round of attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, targeting a radar facility
Shortly afterwards, demonstrators descended on the United Nations Yemen Mission in New York to condemn the strike
The attack on the radar facility came after the Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile in retaliation for overnight attacks by US and British forces on Thursday.
The latest round of strikes was smaller in scale than Thursday’s first wave. Protesters gathered to demand an end to all strikes.
The official confirmed that the latest strikes were carried out unilaterally by the US.
However, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV station claimed that the US and Britain were involved in the attacks on the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
Sources in the British Ministry of Defense said any suggestions about British involvement in the second round of attacks on the Houthis were incorrect. A formal statement confirming Britain’s non-involvement is expected later today.
A source said: ‘There was no British participation in these strikes – it was a unilateral action carried out by the US.’
But Thursday’s blitz, a response to attacks on cargo ships by Houthis in the Red Sea, was a joint effort by the US, Britain and other allied countries.
The attack hit more than 60 targets, killing five people and wounding six others, a Houthi army spokesperson told CNN.
But U.S. officials determined that the additional site, a radar site, still posed a threat to maritime traffic, an official said.
President Joe Biden said on Friday that US airstrikes against the Houthi in Yemen were a success, adding that he was working with them to deliver a message to Iran.
“I don’t think there were any civilian casualties — that’s another reason why it’s a success,” Biden told reporters traveling with him in Pennsylvania.
The White House has said the airstrikes in Yemen, much of which is controlled by the Houthis, were in retaliation for months of attacks by the Red Sea Shipping Movement that the rebels are attacking in response to the ongoing war in Gaza.
However, their objectives have become increasingly arbitrary and have disrupted global shipping channels.
Asked if he has a message for Iran, Biden said: “I’ve already delivered the message to Iran.”
The president also noted that Tehran “does not want a war with us” but said he is prepared to bomb the Houthi again if they continue to attack US forces.