US sanctions network of supporters under IRGC Quds Force for financing Yemeni Houthis

On Wednesday, March 24, the US Treasury Department sanctioned a group of individuals and entities that it said were part of the Houthi rebels' financial network.

These sanctions were imposed in response to the escalation of Houthi drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in recent months.

The US Treasury Department said in a statement that the sanctions were designed and will be implemented in cooperation with Washington's allies in the region. However, the severity of the sanctions appears to be less than what Saudi Arabia and the UAE had requested from Washington.

The main targets of these sanctions are trading companies, shipping companies, and exchange offices that, according to the US Treasury Department, are helping the Houthis in Yemen by smuggling petroleum products and other raw materials and consumer goods in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

The US Treasury Department said in part of its announcement that this network, which operates under the supervision of the IRGC's Quds Force and Saeed al-Jamal, one of the main organizers of the Houthi financial operations, has so far generated tens of millions of dollars for the group.

"The United States will continue to work with regional allies to counter groups that seek to prolong the Yemeni war to consolidate their power," said Brian Nelson, the Treasury Department's undersecretary for counterterrorism. "Yemeni Houthi leaders must end their violent attacks and negotiate in good faith to end the war."

The US Treasury Department statement added that Wednesday's decision was made in connection with a 2007 executive order that placed the IRGC's Quds Force on the US sanctions list for supporting Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, and other terrorist groups.

The US Treasury Department's Counterterrorism and Financial Crimes Unit also sanctioned Saeed al-Jamal in June 2021 for his effective role in providing financial support to the Houthi rebels.

In another part of its announcement, the US Treasury Department said that the main targets of the new sanctions are Saeed Al-Jamal's international trading network, several international currency exchange and transfer networks that cooperate with the Houthis, and several shipping companies that transport goods from Saeed Al-Jamal's trading network.

In connection with Saeed al-Jamal's international business network, several traders and brokers residing in the Persian Gulf and Europe, and two oil product transportation companies in the Middle East have been included in the new US sanctions list.

Two currency exchange and transfer networks, one in Türkiye and the other in Yemen, which play an active role in the transactions of Saeed al-Jamal's business network, have also been sanctioned.

As a result of these sanctions, all assets and property of individuals and legal entities on this list will be frozen in the United States, and American citizens and companies will be fined by the Treasury Department if they do business with these individuals.

Since last year, the Joe Biden administration has been trying to limit the scope of the Yemeni war and encourage the warring parties to negotiate to resolve the crisis.

Diplomatic efforts by the United States and the United Nations have so far failed to yield results, and in recent months, the increase in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has exacerbated the crisis.

Source: Radio Farda