U.S. warships heading to Yemen to monitor ships from Iran - by Jim Sciutto and Jamie Crawford

U.S. warships are being deployed to Yemen to monitor ships in the area traveling from Iran and suspected of trafficking arms to Houthi rebels, U.S. officials tell CNN. The move is also meant to reassure allies in the region, the officials said.

U.S. ships do not have authority to forcibly board Iranian-flagged ships.

Earlier this month, a U.S. Navy ship consensually boarded a Panamanian-flagged vessel suspected of trafficking people, drugs or weapons. Nothing was found.

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