Tanzania, March 5 -- Four Pakistanis have been charged by the US Department of Justice for smuggling advanced weapons to help the Houthis, who have been targeting US naval and merchant ships since the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The weapons smugglers were carrying missile parts and other advanced weapons made by Iran.

The Pakistani-run global weapons ring was busted in January when US Navy seals and other military personnel interdicted a dhow with four Pakistanis and seven others.

Preliminary analysis of the weapons seized aboard the dhow indicated them to be critical components for medium range ballistic missiles (MRBM) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM), to include a warhead and propulsion and guidance components.

The investigators fou...