A US judge has approved arrest warrants for two Iranian citizens indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations that they owned a vessel used to smuggle weapons parts used by the Houthis to fire on ships.
Court records show that US magistrate judge Mark Colombell issued warrants against Shahab and Yunus Mir’kazei.
As TradeWinds reported on Friday, the brothers were indicted in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for “providing material support to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction programme resulting in death” and for conspiracy to do so.
The charges include “conspiring to commit violence against maritime navigation and maritime transport involving weapons of mass destruction” that resulted in death.
The grand jury also issued new charges against Muhammad Pahlawan of Pakistan, who was previously indicted in connection with the alleged smuggling vessel Yunus that was boarded by US authorities off Somalia in January.
Shahab is accused of being the owner of the dhow — which is apparently named after his brother — that was used in the smuggling operation uncovered in a January boarding of the vessel.
And both Iranians are accused of working with Pahlawan to smuggle weapons parts.
The Mir’kazei brothers are at large, while Pahlawan was apprehended when the US Navy and Coast Guard interdicted the Yunus in an operation that led to the death of two members of the boarding team.
Pahlawan’s lawyer could not be immediately reached for this story but has pleaded not guilty to previous charges in the case.
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