Washington: Amid concerns over the attacks by armed Houthi rebels on merchant vessels in Red Sea, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US
Washington: Amid concerns over the attacks by armed Houthi rebels on merchant vessels in Red Sea, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department on Friday sanctioned two shiiping companies based in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates for providing financial support to the Yemen-backed group.
According to a press release by the US State Department, the shipping companies were transporting Iranian commodities on behalf of the network of Iran-based Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) at the behest of Sa’id al-Jamal, a ‘financial facilitator’ for the Yemen-backed Houthis.
The sanctions come close on the heels of US and British warplanes, ships and submarines launching dozens of air strikes across Yemen overnight in retaliation against Houthi forces for attacks on Red Sea shipping assets, widening a regional conflict stemming from Israel’s war in Gaza.
Additionally, OFAC also identified four vessels as blocked property in which these companies have an interest. The revenue from the commodity sales supports the Houthis and their continued attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the State Department added in the release.
“The United States continues to take action against the illicit Iranian financial networks that fund the Houthis and facilitate their attacks.
