米海軍、イランからイエメンへの密輸船拿捕 小銃２１００丁押収

【ドバイＡＦＰ＝時事】米海軍は１０日、オマーン沖で６日、イランからイエメンに向かう漁船を拿捕（だほ）し、密輸目的と見られる自動小銃「ＡＫ４７」２１１６丁を押収したと発表した。（写真は米海軍が押収した自動小銃「ＡＫ４７」。同軍提供）
　バーレーンを拠点とする米海軍第５艦隊によると、漁船を拿捕したのは、イランの支援を受けるイエメンの反政府勢力フーシ派に物資を届ける密輸ルート上で、「イエメン人６人が乗船していた」。
　ブラッド・クーパー米海軍中将は、イランが継続して行っている不安定化工作の一環との見方を示している。
　米海軍は、漁船と乗組員の本国送還に向けて手続きを進めているとした上で、「フーシ派に対する武器の直接的または間接的な供給、販売、輸送は国際法に反する」と述べた。国連安全保障理事会は昨年２月、フーシ派に対する武器輸出を禁止する決議を採択した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/01/11-13:20）

The US Navy said Tuesday it had seized more than 2,000 assault rifles smuggled on a fishing boat along a maritime route from Iran to Yemen.
The cargo was discovered on Friday off the coast of Oman on a route historically used to traffic illicit cargo to the Huthis in Yemen, the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet said in a statement, noting the vessel was crewed by six Yemeni nationals.
This shipment is part of a continued pattern of destabilising activity from Iran, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper was quoted as saying.
The Iran-backed Huthi rebels took control of the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year.
Since then, a grinding war has killed hundreds of thousands and pushed the impoverished nation to the brink of famine.
A UN-brokered ceasefire that took effect in April brought a sharp reduction in hostilities. The truce expired in October, though fighting largely remains on hold.
The fishing vessel intercepted last week had been carrying 2,116 AK-47 assault rifles.
The transfer of the vessel and its crew for repatriation is in progress, the Fifth Fleet said, adding that the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of weapons to the Huthis violates international law.
The UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on the Huthis in February 2022.
Last month, the US Navy said it had seized one million rounds of ammunition along with rocket fuses and propellant being smuggled on a fishing trawler from Iran to Yemen.
In November, the US Navy said it had scuttled a boat transporting explosive materials from Iran to supply the Huthis, with enough power to fuel a dozen ballistic rockets.