Two Navy SEALs Go Missing During Operation Off Somalia Coast

Late last week, two U.S. Navy SEALs went missing during a mission off the coast of Somalia and a search and rescue operation has been launched, according to U.S. officials.

The incident occurred during a nighttime interdiction mission that began on Thursday, where they were attempting to board a small ship that was transporting weapons from Iran to Yemen. The Navy SEALs were climbing up onto the vessel when one was knocked off by strong ocean waves, according to the Associated Press. The second Navy SEAL followed protocol, jumping into the ocean to try to rescue him.

The outlet reported that a search and rescue operation is still underway to find both missing Navy SEALs in the warm waters of the Gulf of Aden. This operation will be aided by the already-increased U.S. Navy activity in the area, who were sent to stop weapons from being shipped to the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen that have been attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has thus far refused to release any details about the missing Navy SEALs, only identifying the individuals as “sailors” who were “were forward-deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet (C5F) area of operations supporting a wide variety of missions.”

This incident comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Houthi terrorists in the Middle East, who are acting as proxies for Iran and responding to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Houthi terrorists have repeatedly attacked international commercial vessels in the Red Sea over the last several months, and have provoked several U.S. Navy vessels in the process — ultimately leading to controversial missile strikes ordered by the Biden administration.

“Since Nov. 19, 2023, Iranian-backed Houthi militants have attempted to attack and harass vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden 28 times,” CENTCOM declared in a statement.

“These illegal incidents include attacks that have employed anti-ship ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise missiles.”

“These strikes have no association with and are separate from Operation Prosperity Guardian, a defensive coalition of over 20 countries operating in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden,” the statement continued.

Meanwhile, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have condemned the Biden administration’s unilateral decision to provoke war in the Middle East with its missile strikes. With the news of the missing Navy SEALs, conservative lawmakers are arguing that this is a consequence of the Biden administration’s actions.

“Two Navy seals have gone missing off the coast of Somalia. It’s a good time to remember that the president can’t unilaterally take us to war. Only Congress can do that. It matters,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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