Two warships have joined US forces in the Arabian Sea, where they will monitor an Iranian convoy suspected of carrying weapons to Houthi rebels in violation of a UN arms embargo adopted last week.

FRANCE 24 – 2015-04-21- “We believe these vessels may have arms and equipment on board,” a defense official said of the Iranian ships.
“If they are delivered to Yemen, it will further destabilize” the country, the official told AFP.
The US Navy said Monday that the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Normandy guided-missile cruiser would “ensure the vital shipping lanes in the region remain open and safe”. The deployment brings to nine the number of US warships in the region.
Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren said the US warships did not have orders to intercept the Iranian vessels, however. Officials said that if intercepting the ships proved necessary it would likely be carried out by the Saudi coalition.
The Iranian maritime presence in the region is comprised of nine ships including two patrol boats, a senior US defense official told AFP, adding that the exact destination of the convoy was unknown.
The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar are taking part in the Saudi-led coalition along with Egypt, Jordan and Sudan. Morocco and Pakistan have declared support for the effort but have yet to contribute forces.
The coalition says it has carried out more than 2,000 strikes since the start of the campaign, seizing complete control of Yemeni airspace and knocking out the rebels’ infrastructure. Warplanes launched more air strikes against the Houthis and allied Shiite militias overnight.
The United States is not taking part in the strikes but is providing intelligence and logistical support to the coalition.
More than 944 people have been killed and almost 3,500 wounded in Yemen’s unrest, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, citing Yemeni health authorities.