The U.S. Sanctions Houthi Arms Supply Networks

The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned networks involved in the supply and trafficking of weapons for the 'Ansarullah' group, known as the Houthis, including key individuals and companies operating in Iran and China. According to a statement released by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Wednesday, October 3, one individual and three companies based in Iran and China, one entity, and two ships, including a Gabon-flagged oil tanker, have been added to the sanctions list. The name of the arms trafficker for the Houthis in Yemen, based in Iran, is mentioned as Hassan Ahmed Hassan Mohammed Al-Kahlani (Hassan Al-Kahlani). An oil tanker flying the Gabon flag, currently carrying sanctioned Iranian oil shipments, has also been sanctioned by the U.S. Bradley Smith, the acting deputy secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, emphasized the department's commitment to disrupting the destabilizing activities of the Houthis, stating that the Houthis continue to carry out indiscriminate attacks on civilian ships, their unarmed crews, and civilians with the support of a network of companies and individuals. In recent months, the U.S. has also added several entities and individuals involved in the logistics and arms trafficking network for the Houthi militants in China, Hong Kong, Yemen, and Oman to its sanctions list. The Ansarullah group is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. The Houthi militants in Yemen, supported by the Islamic Republic, have carried out multiple attacks on international ships off the Yemeni coast in the Red Sea since last November in support of Hamas, another group backed by the Islamic Republic, in its war against Israel, disrupting international maritime trade. The group has also conducted several missile attacks against Israel. Recently, a group of independent experts responsible for providing an annual report to the UN Security Council stated in their recent report that Houthi militia forces have received tactical and technical training from members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah, and Iraqi specialists using fake passports and traveling to Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq. The attacks on the Houthis are occurring 1,800 kilometers from Israel; Gallant stated that it is 'not too far' for them. Iranian reactions to Netanyahu's message indicate that the Middle East is at a 'turning point.' The Hamas leader in Lebanon was killed in an Israeli airstrike. The expansion of Israeli attacks on Yemen and the continuation of bombings in Lebanon have resulted in 105 deaths in Lebanon and an escalation of conflicts. Israel has attacked positions of the Houthis supported by the Iranian government in Hodeidah. The Israeli ambassador to the UN has called for the Security Council to sanction the Iranian government. A senior policy advisor for the 'United Against a Nuclear Iran' coalition stated that Israel has eliminated a generation of Hezbollah's leadership.