Simultaneous Sanctions on Networks Linked to Houthis and Hezbollah
On Thursday, the United States doubled its pressure on Iran and the militias aligned with it, imposing new sanctions on networks involved in generating illicit revenue to support destabilizing activities by the Houthis and Hezbollah, backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force.
The sanctions target Houthi financier Sa’id Al-Jamal, along with six companies and three ships involved in a network financing the group in Yemen. Additionally, sanctions were imposed on a company and four affiliated ships linked to Hezbollah official Muhammad Qasim Al-Bazal, as well as on a shipment of Iranian liquefied natural gas worth tens of millions of dollars.
The U.S. State Department reported that “since the Houthis began their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea last year, the United States has sanctioned dozens of entities, individuals, and ships connected to Al-Jamal’s network. Revenue from this network funds the Houthis’ reckless attacks in vital waterways and strikes on civilian infrastructure, with devastating consequences for the region and the world.”
The department added, “We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to deprive the Houthis of the revenue needed to carry out their attacks on international shipping, and we will continue to confront the Houthi attacks facilitated by Iran.”
The U.S. Treasury Department also announced in a statement that it “targeted companies, individuals, and ships accused of being involved in transporting Iranian goods, including oil and liquefied natural gas, to Yemen and the United Arab Emirates on behalf of a financial network operated by a Houthi financier.” It clarified that “revenue from Sa’id Al-Jamal’s network helps finance Houthi targeting of shipping in the Red Sea and civilian infrastructure.”
The statement highlighted that “attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Iran-aligned Houthi militants have disrupted a vital shipping route for trade between East and West, leading to prolonged rerouting of shipments, increased shipping costs, and congestion in Asian and European ports.” The sanctions also targeted Hezbollah’s liquefied gas shipments, including penalizing a Hong Kong-based ship operator, along with several tankers.
The U.S. Treasury’s Acting Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Bradley Smith, stated that “the action we have taken underscores our ongoing commitment to disrupting Iran’s primary source of funding for its regional terrorist proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis.” He added, “Our message is clear: those who seek to fund these destabilizing groups will be held accountable.”
