The U.S. Sanctions 10 Individuals, Entities, and a Ship Linked to Yemen's Houthis

On Monday, June 11, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (OFAC) announced that it has sanctioned 10 individuals, entities, and a ship due to the transfer of "smuggled" oil and goods for the Houthis, including the network of Said al-Jamal, a financial facilitator for the Houthis. This marks the seventh round of sanctions against Said al-Jamal's network since October 2023. The Hong Kong-based company "Laini Shipping," which owns a ship named "Janet" flagged in Panama, is among the entities sanctioned by the U.S. The Iranian-backed Houthi militants, who control the capital of Yemen and most of the country's populous areas, have been attacking vessels linked to Israel in the Red Sea since last November, claiming to support the Palestinian people against Israeli attacks. Houthi attacks have jeopardized international shipping in key routes of the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden, forcing shipping companies to alter their routes. Brian Nelson, the U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, emphasized that the Iranian-backed Houthis "continue to utilize a broad support network to facilitate their illegal activities, including concealing the origin of shipments, forging shipping documents, and providing services to sanctioned vessels." He further stated, "As we demonstrated with our military strikes last week, the U.S. government is committed to reducing the Houthis' ability to attack commercial and maritime vessels." The U.S. had previously sanctioned Said al-Jamal, a Yemeni national, in 2021 due to his connections with the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. The U.S. Treasury claims that the network managed by Said al-Jamal relies on several exchange offices across the Middle East to facilitate the transfer of Iranian funds to Houthi-affiliated entities in Yemen.