According to a press release issued by the US Department of Justice on Thursday, August 8, 2024, a superseding indictment was returned charging two Iranian citizens and one Pakistani citizen for conspiring to provide and providing material support to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program, resulting in death, and for conspiring to commit violence against maritime navigation and maritime transport involving WMDs, also resulting in death.
The two Iranian nationals, brothers Shahab Mir’kazei and Yunus Mir’kazei, are accused of working for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The third suspect, Muhammad Pahlawan, is a Pakistani citizen who allegedly worked for the Mir’kazei brothers as the captain of a smuggling vessel, known as a dhow, called the “Yunus.”
According to court documents, Shahab owned the dhow and paid Pahlawan in Iranian Rials from a bank account in his name for preparing the vessel for multiple smuggling voyages. Pahlawan is also said to have arranged to receive payments from Shahab and Yunus in Iran and distribute the money to his family and others.
Tragedy struck on January 11, when U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER, including Navy SEALs and U.S. Coast Guard members, boarded the dhow off the coast of Somalia. Two Navy SEALs lost their lives during the interdiction.
The U.S. boarding team found 14 mariners on the vessel, including Pahlawan. During a search of the dhow, the team allegedly discovered and seized advanced conventional weaponry believed to be of Iranian origin. Preliminary analysis of the weaponry indicates that it includes critical components for medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles, including a warhead and propulsion and guidance components. This type of weaponry is consistent with the weaponry used by Houthi rebel forces in recent attacks on merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
In addition to the charges mentioned above, Pahlawan is accused of providing false information to U.S. Coast Guard officers during the boarding of the dhow regarding the vessel’s captain and intimidating one of the crew members on the dhow.
If convicted, Pahlawan, Shahab, and Yunus all face maximum penalties of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
