The United States took action on Thursday, imposing sanctions on 13 individuals and entities accused of channeling substantial sums in foreign currency to Yemen’s Houthi group. The funds were purportedly derived from the sale and shipment of Iranian commodities.
The U.S. Treasury, in a statement, implicated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s paramilitary and espionage force, in supporting this intricate network of exchange houses and firms spanning Yemen, Turkey, and St. Kitts and Nevis.
Treasury Secretary Brian Nelson asserted that Iran’s financial backing facilitated recent Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, posing a threat to international trade.
The statement quoted Nelson, stating,
“The Houthis continue to receive funding and support from Iran, and the result is unsurprising: unprovoked attacks on civilian infrastructure and commercial shipping, disrupting maritime security and threatening international commercial trade.”
The Houthis claim responsibility for staging drone and missile attacks against Israel and its ships in the Red Sea, citing retaliation for Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza following the October 7 incursion into Israel by Hamas militants.
Despite Iran’s denial of involvement in these attacks, the sanctions announced by the U.S. freeze all properties and interests of the targeted entities in the United States. Additionally, the sanctions generally prohibit Americans from engaging in transactions with them.
