The U.S. Imposes Additional Sanctions on Iran's Financial Support Network for Houthis

On Friday, January 12, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it would add four ships and two more companies to its sanctions list due to the Iranian government's financial support for the Houthis, which has fueled their relentless attacks on global trade in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), those sanctioned have been involved in transporting Iranian goods in support of the financial facilitator for the Houthis based in Iran, Saeed Jamal, and his network. OFAC also identified four ships as blocked property in which these companies have an interest. The statement said that the United States will continue to counter the illegal financial support of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the Houthis and will take necessary actions with allies and partners to prevent the destabilizing activities of the Houthis. Accordingly, the Treasury Department has sanctioned two Hong Kong and UAE companies for transporting Iranian goods in support of Saeed Jamal's financial facilitation network for the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Houthis supported by the Islamic Republic. Brian Nelson, the U.S. Treasury's Deputy Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated, 'The United States will continue to act against illegal financial networks that fund the Houthis and facilitate their attacks.' He added, 'Together with our allies and partners, we will take all available actions to stop the destabilizing activities of the Houthis and their threats to global trade.' According to the Treasury Department, one of these four ships, owned and operated by a Hong Kong company, has transported Iranian goods for Saeed Jamal to China. Another of these ships, managed by a company based in the UAE, has also transported Iranian goods for Saeed Jamal. This company has used fake documents to conceal the origin of the transported goods. Saeed Jamal has coordinated the transport of Iranian goods with Abdi Nasser Ali Mahmoud, based in Turkey, who was sanctioned in 2021. Previously, OFAC sanctioned 13 individuals and entities responsible for providing tens of millions of dollars in currency from the sale and shipment of Iranian goods with the support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the Houthis in Yemen. The department stated on Thursday, December 7, that these individuals acted as a significant channel for transferring money from the Islamic Republic to the Houthis in Yemen through a complex network of exchange houses and companies in various countries, via the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Saeed Jamal, who was already on the sanctions list. The U.S. has sanctioned one individual and three entities facilitating the Islamic Republic's financial assistance to the Houthis. Argentina is set to hand over a seized plane 'linked to Iran' to the U.S. The U.S. has also sanctioned several individuals linked to the Quds Force and Palestinian militia groups. The UK has announced that new sanctions against the Islamic Republic will be implemented.