The United States imposed sanctions today, Friday, targeting shipments of goods that fund Iran’s Quds Force and the Houthis in Yemen as Washington intensifies pressure on the Houthis amid attacks on international shipping. The U.S. Treasury Department stated in a statement that the revenue from the sale of primary goods supports the Houthis and their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The department added that it sanctioned a company based in Hong Kong and a company based in the UAE that ship Iranian goods on behalf of a Houthi financial network supported by the Quds Force, which is already under U.S. sanctions. Four oil tankers were also targeted.
The Treasury Department noted that one tanker owned by Shilo Maritime Limited, based in Hong Kong, shipped Iranian goods to China on behalf of financial intermediary Said Al-Jamal. The department mentioned that another tanker attempted to conceal the origin of the goods using forged documents.
The U.S. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence stated, "The United States continues to take action against Iran's illicit financial networks that fund the Houthis and facilitate their attacks." He added, "We will take all available measures with our allies and partners to stop the destabilizing activities of the Houthis and their threats to global trade."
These sanctions come after U.S. and British warplanes, ships, and submarines launched dozens of attacks across Yemen at night, in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, expanding the regional conflict stemming from the war in Gaza.
