Weapons smuggler jailed for 40 years after shipping ballistic missiles from Iran

The Pakistani convict called himself a "walking dead person" just days before his last voyage destined for Houthi rebels in Yemen.

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Pakistani national Muhammad Pahlawan was detained during a US military operation in the Arabian Sea in January 2024 - during which two US Navy Seals drowned.

Pahlawan's crew testified they had been duped into taking part, having believed they were working as fishermen.

The Houthis had launched sustained missile and drone attacks on Israel at the time, and targeted international commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying they were acting in support of Gazans. Iran has consistently denied arming the Houthis.

The crew's detailed testimonies to a court in the US state of Virginia provide a rare look inside a smuggling operation that helped power the attacks.