A boat carrying 40 tonnes of fertilizer, the components of which can be used to make explosives, was boarded from Iran on a route used by Yemeni Houthi rebels to stock up on weapons, the US Navy said on Saturday.
Read alsoYemen: 218 Houthi rebels killed in three days
She said she searched the "flagless" ship
-
already intercepted a year ago with thousands of weapons on board - after spotting it in international waters in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday.
"
US forces have discovered 40 tons of urea fertilizer, a chemical that can be used for agricultural purposes but also to make explosives
," adds the US V Fleet, based in Bahrain.
This seizure comes at a time of great tension in the area: on January 17, the Houthis carried out an unprecedented deadly attack in the United Arab Emirates by blowing up tanker trucks with drones and missiles and the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen responded with airstrikes.
The coalition has acknowledged raids on Sanaa and Hodeidah that left at least 17 dead and caused a total internet shutdown in the country but denies having bombed a prison in Saada, a Houthi stronghold in the north, which left at least 70 dead and more of 100 injured.
The United States called for " de-
escalation
" while the UN called for "
effective investigations
".
The coalition and its allies, including the United States, regularly accuse Iran of supporting the Houthis with military means, which Tehran denies.
