Iranwire – The United States has imposed sanctions against 13 people and entities accused of funneling tens of millions of foreign currency to Yemen’s Houthi rebels through the sale and shipment of Iranian commodities.
The US Treasury made the announcement on December 7, asserting that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) supported this scheme involving a complex network of exchange houses and firms in Yemen, Lebanon, Turkey, Russia, Britain and the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Treasury Undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence Brian Nelson said that Iran’s funds have supported recent Houthi “unprovoked attacks on civilian infrastructure and commercial shipping, disrupting maritime security and threatening international commercial trade.”
“Treasury will continue to disrupt the financial facilitation and procurement networks that enable these destabilizing activities,” he added.
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in early October, the Houthis have launched multiple missile and drone attacks over commercial shipping operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Tehran denies involvement in these attacks.
The sanctions block access to US property and bank accounts and prevent the targeted people and companies from doing business with Americans.