Iranian Brothers and Pakistani Captain Charged in US Terrorism Case

Two Iranian brothers and a Pakistani captain are facing terrorism charges in the US related to a vessel interception that led to the deaths of two Navy SEALs in the Arabian Sea. The men are implicated in providing support to Iran's weapons-of-mass-destruction program.

Two men linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard face terrorism charges in the US after the interception of a vessel in the Arabian Sea led to the deaths of two Navy SEALs earlier this year.

Federal prosecutors in Richmond, Virginia, announced the indictment Thursday, charging Iranian brothers Shahab Mir'kazei and Yunus Mir'kazei, and Pakistani boat captain Muhammad Pahlawan with providing material support to Iran's weapons-of-mass-destruction program.

The brothers remain at large, while Pahlawan and three crew members have been in custody since January. US officials say the dhow they intercepted carried Iranian-made weaponry intended for Houthi rebels in Yemen. An 11-day search ended with the deaths of two SEALs, and the dhow was linked to smuggling operations sponsored by the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

(With inputs from agencies.)