The SEALs moved to board the vessel, described by officials as a dhow, a type of trading vessel sometimes used by smugglers to carry illicit weapons. The dhow’s crew was taken into custody, and U.S. personnel sank the vessel, having deemed it “unsafe,” officials said. “Disposition of the 14 dhow crew members is being determined in accordance with international law,” the statement says. The Houthis, officials contend, would be incapable of threatening these shipping routes without Iran’s technological and intelligence support. Though it has been days since the two Navy SEALs went missing, the Pentagon remains hopeful that they will be found alive.

Source: Washington Post January 16, 2024 13:57 UTC