In response to a series of drone and missile attacks on civilian cargo ships and US warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States announced a new round of sanctions on Wednesday. These sanctions target individuals and firms accused of providing millions in funding to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The US Treasury Department alleges that the 13 individuals and firms named in the sanctions have played a role in providing tens of millions of dollars in financial support to the Houthi rebels, an Iranian-backed group. According to the announcement, these entities have facilitated the shipment and sale of Iranian commodities, contributing to the financial backing of the Houthi rebels.
The announcement identifies Sa’id al-Jamal, a previously sanctioned financier of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), as the leader and primary coordinator of an extensive network of exchange houses and companies. This network is purportedly used to funnel Iranian money to the Houthi rebels.
Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, asserts that the IRGC-QF’s financial support and material assistance to the Houthi rebels have resulted in “unprovoked attacks” in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. These attacks have disrupted maritime security and international commercial trade. Nelson emphasizes the Treasury’s commitment to disrupting the financial facilitation and procurement networks that enable such destabilizing activities.
The 13 individuals and firms implicated in providing funding to the Houthi rebels include currency houses based in Lebanon, Turkey, and Dubai, as well as shipping firms in Russia and St. Kitts and Nevis. The U.S. alleges that Sa’id al-Jamal uses these entities to facilitate the transfer of Iranian commodity shipments.
Since the start of the conflict between Hamas and Israel in October, the Houthi rebels have launched numerous drone and missile attacks against commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The IRGC-QF-backed Houthi rebels claim that these attacks are connected to Israel.
A day before the announcement of sanctions, Houthi Defense Minister Mohammed Nasser Al-Atefi vowed that the rebel group would continue launching missiles at Israel and attempting to impede ships with connections to Israel from passing through the Gulf. U.S. warships have maintained a presence in the region to safeguard vital shipping lanes and prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from escalating into a larger regional war.