The military coalition led by Saudi Arabia said it seized an Iranian boat carrying weapons bound for Yemen in an incident set to raise tensions between the Middle East’s staunchest political rivals.
The boat was seized in the Arabian Sea, Saudi Arabia’s state-run television reported. Its cargo included anti-tank weapons as well as missile launchers, it said, citing a coalition statement.
The coalition is fighting a war against Yemen’s Shiite Houthi rebels in a bid to restore the rule of President Abdurabuh Mansur Hadi. Gulf Arab monarchies say the war in Yemen is a proxy conflict with Iran, which they accuse of backing the Houthi rebels. Western diplomats have expressed skepticism about the level of Iranian involvement.
