US Navy ships prompt Iranian Navy to call of Yemen mission

Baltimore Star Sunday 26th April, 2015

us navy ships prompt iranian navy to call of yemen mission

• US Navy says Iranian ships appear to have turned back

• US has 12 ships and one aircraft carrier off coast of Yemen

• Iran is believed to have been attempting to deliver weapons

ADEN, Yemen - An convoy of Iranian ships suspected of carrying weapons bound for Yemen and the Houthi rebels fighting the central government has turned north, away from the war-torn country, the US navy has reported.

The Iranian convoy turned back after the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and other American warships were deployed off Yemen's coast to prevent any arms deliveries to the Iran-backed Shiite rebels.

According to US naval officials, the nine-ship Iranian convoy is "no longer on the same course" and is now south of Salalah, Oman.

The flotilla included two "armed vessels," said an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, but without providing any further details as to their weaponry or class.

He added that it was possible the Iranians "could make a turn to Yemen at any time," and said the convoy was moving "slowly". The United States is closely monitoring the ships, the official added.

The UN Security Council earlier in April imposed an arms embargo on the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, which is believed to be largely supported by Iran.

A total of 12 US navy ships moved to the region stretching from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, the US flotilla includes nine combat vessels.

The warships include Roosevelt, with a crew of about 5,000 and some 60 aircraft, a group of three amphibious ships and two minesweepers. There are three resupply ships in the area to support the combat vessels.

The United States is not taking part in direct military action against the Houthi rebel, but is providing intelligence and logistical support, including aerial refueling, for Saudi-led air strikes, which were suspended last week.

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