Captain Convicted In US For Smuggling Iranian Weapons To Houthis

A federal jury in the United States has convicted a Pakistani national, Pahlawan, aged 49, for his involvement in smuggling Iranian-made advanced weapons that were reportedly intended for the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The charges also include threatening his own crew members during the smuggling operation.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, U.S. Navy and Coast Guard forces stopped an unflagged dhow (a small wooden boat) in the Arabian Sea off Somalia on the night of January 11, 2024. The operation was carried out by personnel from the USS Lewis B. Puller, including Navy SEALs and the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team East.

There were 14 men on the vessel, including Captain Pahlawan. A search of the boat led to the discovery of Iranian-made weapons, including ballistic missile parts, anti-ship cruise missile components, and a warhead.

Authorities confirmed that these weapons were similar to those being used by the Houthis in attacks on commercial and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, especially following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack in Israel.

During the boarding, Pahlawan was accused of lying to U.S. personnel, telling his crew to lie, and later threatening the lives of his crew members and their families. He pleaded not guilty, but prosecutors said he took part in a broader smuggling operation that involved multiple arms shipments.

Officials said the smuggling network was coordinated by two Iranian brothers, Shahab and Yunus Mir’kazei, who are believed to be affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Between August 2023 and January 2024, Pahlawan made several smuggling trips, transporting weapons from Iran to Somalia. Once near the coast, he was instructed to transfer the cargo at sea, during the night, to other vessels that would then take the weapons to Yemen.

Prosecutors said Pahlawan worked closely with Shahab and Yunus, preparing the boat, receiving precise transfer coordinates, and collecting payments for each voyage. The dhow was set up specifically for these smuggling missions, according to the evidence shared in court.

In a surprising turn, U.S. prosecutors revealed that Iranian authorities had arrested Pahlawan and some of his crew members in December 2023 when they returned to Iran from a previous smuggling trip. However, the group was later released, and Pahlawan resumed smuggling activities before being intercepted by the U.S. Navy in January.

In January 2024 boarding, two Navy SEALs went missing in rough seas and are presumed dead.

The jury found Pahlawan guilty of several charges, including:

• Conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists
• Providing support for Iran’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program
• Providing support to the IRGC’s WMD program
• Transporting explosives to the Houthis with knowledge of their intended use
• Threatening his crew

His sentencing is scheduled for September 22, 2025. Many of the charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after reviewing U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.

Reference: US Justice

Source: Maritime Shipping News