A weapons smuggler who used a fishing boat to ship ballistic missile parts from Iran to Houthi rebels in Yemen has been sentenced to 40 years in a US prison.
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.
The components found on Pahlawan's boat were some of the most sophisticated weapon systems that Iran proliferates to other terrorist groups, US federal prosecutors said after his trial.
The 49-year-old was sentenced on Thursday, having been previously convicted on five counts - including terrorism offences and transporting weapons of mass destruction.
Court documents show the sentences for two of the five counts will run concurrently for 240 months, or 20 years. The other three counts, another 20 years, will run consecutive to that - making a total of 480 months, or 40 years.
The eight crew members who testified in court said they had no idea what was inside the large packages on board the boat, named the Yunus.
One crew member said that when he questioned Pahlawan about it, he was told to mind his own business.
Pahlawan, however, knew just how dangerous the cargo was.
He referred to himself as a walking dead person in text message exchanges with his wife, sent in the days before the January 2024 voyage which would get him arrested.
His messages were used as evidence in court, showcasing his awareness of the risks involved.
For this journey, Pahlawan was paid 1,400 million rials (£25,200; $33,274) - a substantial fee described as danger money by prosecutors.
His operations were reportedly co-ordinated with Iranian brothers allegedly connected to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps.
Pahlawan made two successful smuggling voyages before being caught as part of a larger scheme involving these banned arms transfers.
The packages ultimately contained sophisticated Iranian-made ballistic missile components and a warhead.
US Department of Justice images displayed the dangerous cargo, including a warhead meant for ballistic missiles.
William Freer, of the UK think tank Council on Geostrategy, indicated that these weapons significantly changed the risks for commercial shipping in the Red Sea, resulting in major rerouting and increased operational costs.
Pahlawan was convicted on multiple serious charges related to his smuggling efforts, while Iran was accused by several states of violating international agreements by supplying arms to the rebels.
