Washington Seeks to Dry Up Houthi Funding Sources
The United States imposes sanctions on 13 individuals and entities accused of diverting tens of millions of dollars from the sale of Iranian products to the Houthi rebels in Yemen
On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on 13 individuals and entities accused of diverting tens of millions of dollars in foreign currency from the sale of Iranian products to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, responsible for attacks against Israel.
These funds were gathered through the sale and shipment of Iranian products, transferred to the Houthis in Yemen with support from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard through a complex network of exchange companies and companies operating in several countries, as confirmed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in a statement.
The Houthis align with the Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, and various Palestinian, Iraqi, and Yemeni factions within the “Axis of Resistance” led by Iran. They have launched several drone and missile attacks against Israel since the beginning of the war in Gaza.
Brian Nelson, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated, “The Houthis continue to receive funding and support from Iran, and the result is not surprising: attacks on civilian infrastructure, commercial ships, disruption of maritime security, and threats to international trade.”
The U.S. State Department explained in a statement that “Iran’s support for the Houthi regime enabled attacks on civilian infrastructure in Israel and on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The attacks from Houthi-controlled areas threatened U.S. warships operating in international waters.”
It pointed out that “such attacks disrupt maritime security, hinder the freedom of navigation for commercial ships, increase regional instability, and risk expanding the conflict between Israel and Hamas.”
The individuals and entities targeted by these economic sanctions are part of the same network as Sa’id al-Jamal, subject to U.S. sanctions since June 2021. Their assets in the United States will be frozen, and exchanges of goods to and from the country will be prohibited.
Since the Hamas attack and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, the rebels announced the launch of rockets and drones at Israel, claiming that they hit their targets. However, Israel confirmed that it successfully intercepted most of these attacks.
Two weeks ago, the Houthi spokesperson in Yemen, Yahya Saree, stated that “the group will target all ships owned or operated by Israeli companies or flying the Israeli flag,” calling on all countries worldwide to withdraw their citizens working on these ships’ crews and avoid shipping or dealing with them.
The U.S. sanctions come as part of an effort to dry up Houthi funding sources, coinciding with the United States’ readiness to establish an international maritime task force to counter their attacks on commercial ships in the Middle East waters, as confirmed by Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder in a press conference two days ago.
