US files ‘largest-ever’ forfeitures action over fuel, weapons shipments from Iran to Yemen's Houthis

Washington announced Thursday that it had filed a complaint over shipments of Iranian missiles from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to Houthi militants, seized by the US Navy.

Two US warships seized 171 guided anti-tank missiles, eight surface-to-air missiles, and various other missile components during two separate routine maritime security operations, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers announced.

“On August 20, 2020, the National Security Division and the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia filed a complaint in US District Court seeking to forfeit the seized weapons,” the US official added.

The US is also seeking to forfeit approximately 1.1 million barrels of Iranian petroleum that the US previously obtained from four foreign-flagged oil tankers bound for Venezuela, the Justice Department announced.

“These actions represent the government’s largest-ever forfeitures actions for fuel and weapons shipments from Iran,” the Justice Department said.