The British Navy seized a cargo of Iranian weapons last month from a smugglers’ boat traversing the Gulf of Oman.
The vessel was spotted during the night by an unmanned US intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance plane as it traveled south from Iran at high speed.
Among the weapons seized were anti-tank missiles and fins for medium-range ballistic missile assembly.
The vessel, also tracked by a British helicopter, attempted to flee to Iranian territorial waters when it was hailed by the UK Royal Navy.
The smugglers were stopped by a team of British Royal Marines who then boarded the vessel and seized the cargo.
“This seizure by HMS Lancaster and the permanent presence of the Royal Navy in the Gulf region supports our commitment to uphold international law and tackle activity that threatens peace and security around the world,” British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told reporters.
The UK informed the United Nations about its seizure of the weaponry, which appeared to be headed to Yemen.
