Iran’s Gunrunners: New Report Establishes Credible Link to Iranian Arms Trafficking

Lima Charlie News Exclusive: Just released report by Conflict Armament Research shows link between Iran and the trafficking of thousands of weapons to war torn Yemen and Somalia.

The British arms-tracking organization, Conflict Armament Research (CAR), has released a highly incriminating report indicating that thousands of weapons entering the conflict-ridden countries of Yemen and Somalia may be coming from Iranian backed companies and individuals. Lima Charlie News previously reported on one of the raids cited in the report. In that instance, the Combined Maritime Forces had seized a vessel the U.S. Navy concluded originated from Iran, in an attempt to transport weapons to Yemen.

Entitled “Maritime Interdictions of Weapon Supplies to Somalia and Yemen,” the CAR report documents evidence found onboard captured dhows, traditional sailing vessels used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. The dhows were presumably transporting weapons in the Arabian Sea, and were captured by the warships HMAS Darwin, FS Provence, and USS Sirocco, operating as part of the multinational CMF. Due to the significant quantity and nature of the military materiel found on board the vessels, the international community immediately suspected their origin to be Iran, with a final destination set for the war-torn countries of Somalia and Yemen.

 2400305; Iranian Hoshdar-M (SVD-pattern). 562934886; Chinese Type 56 …

For months, members from CAR traversed the region, pouring over findings, and recording links between organizations and individuals. The final report was released at midnight on the 30th of November, and Lima Charlie News was given exclusive access some weeks earlier, to review the findings.

CAR was able to obtain documentation from two out of three of the dhows, and began analyzing and documenting the impounded materiel. CAR was also able to gain access to seized military equipment that United Arab Emirate forces – operating as part of the anti-Houthi coalition in Yemen – had reportedly captured. Found to be linked were weapons tracked in Yemen, with some of the weapons found in the cargo hold of one of the dhows. Further investigation proved that a significant quantity of the weapons found in Yemen, and in the dhows, were Iranian-manufactured and believed to have originated from Iranian stockpiles.

In the report, CAR specifies that all three interdictions “involved significant weapon seizures, with the weight of evidence pointing to Iran as the original source and Somalia and/or Yemen as the intended destinations.”

An Iranian shipbuilding corporation, Al Mansoor, was also found to have manufactured two out of the three dhows. There are some indications that Al Mansoor is involved in these operations beyond the role of being a mere manufacturer of the vessels. CAR found that Al Mansoor has been involved in previous gun running operations in Somalia, from supplying local markets, to accessing Somalian ports and transferring arms between vessels heading to other destinations in the region. “Since 2012, Al Mansoor dhows have been involved in multiple cases of trafficking in heroin, cannabis, and more recently, weapons,” CAR’s report stated. “Analysis of the weapons suggests that at least two of the three deliveries were probably supplied with the complicity of Iranian security forces.”

According to records acquired through the Iranian Registry for Personal and Deed Organizations, Al Mansoor is headquartered next to an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facility. IRGC is the military arm of the Iranian religious leadership, and its Ayatollahs. Having devised Hezbollah in Lebanon, the IRGC maintains strong ties to Hamas in Palestine, as well as the Sadr militia in Iraq. The IRCG is also responsible for the deaths of countless Americans and coalition allies throughout the Middle East.

According to the report, a single dhow’s shipment included 2,000 mint condition Iranian AKM-patterned rifles, and 64 mint condition Iranian SVD-patterned sniper rifles, all with sequential serial numbers. In addition to these weapons, 9 Russian-manufactured KORNET Anti-Tank Ground Weapons (ATGW), and 6 RPD light machine guns were found onboard. The RPD light machine gun serial numbers were found in close sequence to those found in a previous boat raid conducted by the Australian Navy in the same waters. All evidence points towards the weapons originating from the same production run, and likely from the same supplier.

The US Navy vessel USS Sirocco intercepted a dhow on the 28th of March 2016, confiscating 1,500 AK-patterned rifles, 200 RPG-7 patterned rocket launchers, and 21 12.7x108mm machine guns. The US is still investigating what the find might imply, but believes the dhow and its cargo originated in Iran and were destined for Yemen.

While CAR investigators were not permitted by the U.S. Department of Defense to review the government’s findings, photos taken of the weapons in the cargo hold indicate that their particular design features are consistent with Iranian weapon designs. According to Jonah Leff, Director of Operations of CAR, “This report provides the most comprehensive account, to date, of evidence suggesting Iranian involvement in weapon supplies to Somalia and Yemen. Further research is required to begin to nail down on the precise routes and networks involved in the maritime trade of weapons from Iran.”

While it appears there are strong signs of Iranian involvement, CAR readily admits that further investigation is needed before conclusively determining the full depth at issue. The organization recently gained ground access to Yemen through the UAE’s military engagement in the country, and is currently conducting inspections of seized rebel and militia arms caches.

Lima Charlie News reached out to Dr. Mostafa Moslehzadeh, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Jordan, for comments on the contents of the report, but has yet to receive a response. The Head Secretary of the Ambassador, Mr. Mehdi Rezai, did however state that the State of Iran does not engage in illicit activities in Yemen, or Somalia, but does support “the struggle against oppression.” Attempts to seek comment from the Consulate of the Republic of Yemen in Jordan went unanswered, despite repeated promises by consulate staff.

Past CAR efforts have also led to reports that Islamic State and affiliated militia groups in the Levant and Central Asia are using ammunition, small arms, and heavy equipment originating from United States and Chinese manufacturers. These reports concluded that munitions were transferred via the US and Chinese governments to regional actors with legitimate intents. However, due to the rapid destabilization of anti-ISIS militia units they were intended to reach, the Islamic State was easily able to acquire the materiel.

Follow Lima Charlie News’ MENA Desk for further updates.

John Sjoholm, Lima Charlie News, with Mario Figueroa

John Sjoholm is Lima Charlie’s Middle East Bureau Chief, Managing Editor, and founder of the consulting firm Erudite Group. A seasoned expert on Middle East and North Africa matters, he has a background in security contracting and has served as a geopolitical advisor to regional leaders. He was educated in religion and languages in Sana’a, Yemen, and Cairo, Egypt, and has lived in the region since 2005, contributing to numerous Western-supported stabilisation projects. He currently resides in Jordan. Follow John on Twitter @JohnSjoholmLC

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