The US navy "seized advanced conventional weapons and other lethal aid originating in Iran and bound to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen from a vessel in the Arabian Sea on January 28", the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media.

The shipment contained over 200 packages carrying missile components, explosives and other devices, the statement said.

"This is yet another example of Iran's malign activity in the region," CENTCOM chief Michael Erik Kurilla was quoted as saying.

"Their continued supply of advanced conventional weapons to the Houthis ... continues to undermine the safety of international shipping and the free flow of commerce," he added.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control much of war-torn Yemen, have been attacking vital Red Sea shipping lanes since November in a campaign they say is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Their attacks have triggered reprisals by US and British forces, including a fresh wave of US strikes on Houthi-controlled areas on Wednesday.

The Houthi attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, which normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade.