Four Decades Behind Bars for Smuggler Shipping Missile Parts from Iran

Mon Oct 20 2025 01:24:02 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Muhammad Pahlawan, a Pakistani smuggler, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for trafficking ballistic missile components from Iran to Yemen in support of Houthi rebels, amidst rising tensions in the region.

Muhammad Pahlawan, a 49-year-old Pakistani national, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison following his conviction on multiple charges, including supplying weapons to terrorists. He was apprehended during a U.S. military operation after shipping sophisticated missile parts from Iran to Houthi rebels in Yemen. Testimonies from his crew revealed they were unaware of the true nature of the cargo, marking a significant crackdown on Iranian arms smuggling linked to ongoing conflicts. Amid ongoing tensions, this case underscores the complexity of maritime smuggling operations and the risks involved.

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, targeting international commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Iran has consistently denied arming the Houthis.

The crew's testimonies to a court in Virginia provide a rare glimpse into a smuggling operation that supported these attacks. Components found on Pahlawan's boat were described by federal prosecutors as some of the most sophisticated weapon systems that Iran proliferates to other terrorist groups.

Pahlawan was sentenced after being convicted on five counts, including terrorism and transporting weapons of mass destruction. His prison time amounts to 40 years after some sentences were ordered to run consecutively.

The eight crew members who testified in court claimed ignorance about the cargo being transported, which turned out to consist of advanced missile parts. Pahlawan was aware of the cargo's dangers, even referring to himself as a walking dead person in messages with his wife ahead of his last voyage.

He was compensated a hefty sum for the voyage, described as danger money, and it was part of a larger operation directed by two brothers with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Pahlawan had successfully completed two smuggling voyages prior to his capture, exploiting a common route for weapons smugglers.

The US military labeled this operation as part of extensive smuggling which has seen significant seizures of arms and resources linked to conflict in Yemen. According to reports, Pahlawan's case has created a ripple effect on global shipping routes, with companies opting to reroute around Africa to avoid conflict in the Red Sea.

Ultimately, the court deemed Pahlawan's actions serious enough to warrant the substantial sentence imposed, reflecting the ongoing challenges posed by arms trafficking in regions afflicted by conflict.