Friday August 9, 2024
FILE - This undated image released by the US military's Central Command shows what it is described as the vessel in the Arabian Sea that carried Iranian-made missile components bound for Yemen's Houthi. (US Central Command via AP, File)
Mogadishu (HOL) — U.S. federal prosecutors have indicted two Iranian brothers and a Pakistani national for their roles in a smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. Navy SEALs earlier this year. The operation, linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), involved the shipment of advanced weaponry intended for Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The indictment, announced Thursday, charges Shahab and Yunus Mir'kazei, along with Pakistani boat captain Muhammad Pahlawan, with providing material support to Iran's weapons of mass destruction program. If convicted, they face life imprisonment. The Mir'kazei brothers remain at large, while Pahlawan is currently in U.S. custody.
The deaths occurred on January 11, 2024, during a nighttime mission in the Gulf of Aden. Navy SEALs, deployed from the USS Lewis B. Puller, attempted to board a dhow suspected of carrying Iranian-made missile components. During the operation, Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers slipped and fell into the sea. Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram immediately jumped in to rescue him. Both men were lost in the rough waters and were later declared dead after an extensive 11-day search.
The dhow was allegedly found to be carrying an array of Iranian-made weapons, including propulsion and guidance components for medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM). U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the weapons were consistent with those used by Houthi rebels in attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The smuggling operation, allegedly orchestrated by the Mir'kazei brothers, involved paying Pahlawan 1.7 billion Iranian rials (approximately $40,000) to transport the weapons from Iran to the Somali coast. The dhow was later deemed unsafe and sunk by U.S. forces.
"This loss is devastating for Naval Special Warfare and the families of these brave SEALs who made the ultimate sacrifice," said Capt. Blake L. Chaney, commander of Naval Special Warfare Group 1. "Their dedication to the mission and their willingness to risk everything to protect their fellow Americans exemplify the very best of our military."
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber stated that the charges reflect a firm resolve to hold accountable those who threaten national security and the safety of American service members.
An investigation by the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet is ongoing, focusing on the conditions surrounding the mission, including the SEALs' equipment and training, as well as the raid's timing, given the rough sea conditions.