A weapons smuggler from Pakistan, Muhammad Pahlawan, has been sentenced to 40 years in a US federal prison for shipping ballistic missile parts from Iran to Yemen's Houthi rebels. Pahlawan's arrest occurred during a US military operation in January 2024.
The 49-year-old was found guilty on five counts, including terrorism offenses and transporting weapons of mass destruction. The court established that the weapons recovered from Pahlawan's boat included some of the most advanced military equipment Iran provides to international terrorist groups.
Pahlawan, who described himself as a “walking dead person” in text messages to his wife prior to his arrest, was paid £25,200 for this high-risk venture, which prosecutors labeled as danger money. The operation was reportedly directed by two Iranian brothers with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
During his trial, testimonies from his crew revealed that they were misled into believing they were working as fishermen. The complexity of the smuggling operation was highlighted by evidence showing that this shipment was intended to bolster ongoing Houthi missile and drone attacks against Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea.
The sentence accounts for the risks posed by the smuggling operation and Pahlawan’s knowledge of the resultant dangers stemming from these military supplies, which have escalated tensions in the region.
