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Pakistani Man Sentenced to 40 Years in U.S. for Smuggling Iranian Missiles to Yemen
A U.S. court in Virginia has sentenced Pakistani citizen Mohammad Pehlwan to 40 years in prison for smuggling Iranian-made missile parts and weapons to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. He was convicted on terrorism and arms trafficking charges.
MH
by Muhammad Hashir
2025-10-18
Pakistani Man Sentenced to 40 Years in U.S. for Smuggling Iranian Missiles to Yemen

A U.S. court has sentenced 49-year-old Pakistani citizen Mohammad Pehlwan to 40 years in prison for smuggling Iranian-made ballistic missile components and other weapons to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, in violation of international sanctions.

According to details reported by the BBC, Pehlwan was convicted by a Virginia court on June 5, 2025, on multiple charges including terrorism, arms trafficking, and conspiracy to supply weapons of mass destruction.

The U.S. Navy arrested Pehlwan in January 2024 during a special operation in the Arabian Sea, where he was caught attempting to transport Iranian weapons disguised as part of a fishing expedition. During the operation, two U.S. Navy personnel tragically drowned and were later declared dead.

Previous Operations and Recruitment

Investigations revealed that Pehlwan had already completed two successful smuggling missions in October and December 2023, departing from Iran’s Chabahar Port. He had recruited 12 Pakistani nationals under the pretext of fishing jobs, luring them into the illegal operation without disclosing its true purpose.

According to crew testimonies, they were asked to load large sealed packages onto the vessel, which were later transferred to another ship off the coast of Somalia. U.S. Navy officials later confirmed that the cargo included ballistic missile components, anti-ship cruise missiles, and warheads.

Capture at Sea

On January 11, 2024, Pehlwan’s vessel was intercepted by U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships. When approached, Pehlwan reportedly mistook them for pirates and ordered his crew not to stop. A tense confrontation followed, resulting in the loss of two American servicemen.

The U.S. military said this was the first direct seizure of Iranian weapons destined for the Houthi movement since rebel attacks on Red Sea vessels intensified in late 2023.

Court Proceedings and Sentence

During the trial, Pehlwan’s lawyer pleaded for leniency, arguing that the sentence would cause undue hardship for his wife and children. However, the court rejected the appeal, citing the gravity of the offenses and their global security implications.

In his final remarks, the presiding judge stated that “such acts of smuggling deadly weapons fuel conflicts, endanger lives, and undermine international peace.”

The case underscores the ongoing U.S. crackdown on arms trafficking networks supporting the Houthi insurgency in Yemen — a key front in the regional tensions between Iran and Western-backed coalitions.
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Pakistan

Iran

US

yemen

ArmsSmuggling
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