The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on a network of individuals and entities accused of funding the Huthi rebels in Yemen, who have been launching attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.
The sanctions, announced on Thursday, target the head of the Currency Exchangers Association in Sana’a, as well as three currency exchanges in Yemen and Turkey, that allegedly facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars from Iran to the Huthis.
The US said the network was acting on behalf of Sa’id al-Jamal, a key figure in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC), the elite military force of Iran that supports the Huthis.
The Huthis are a Shia Muslim group that seized control of northern Yemen in 2014, sparking a civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people and created a humanitarian crisis.
Since October, the Huthis have intensified their attacks on commercial vessels and oil tankers in the Red Sea, using drones and missiles to disrupt the flow of trade and energy through the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most important waterways.
The US and its allies have accused Iran of providing the Huthis with weapons and training, and have called for a ceasefire and a political solution to the conflict.
In response to the Huthi attacks, the US announced last week that it was forming an international coalition to protect maritime security in the Red Sea, and urged other countries to join the effort.
“Today’s action underscores our resolve to restrict the illicit flow of funds to the Huthis, who continue to conduct dangerous attacks on international shipping and risk further destabilizing the region,” said Brian Nelson, the Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
The sanctions freeze any US assets of the designated individuals and entities, and prohibit any US person from dealing with them. The US also warned that anyone who engages in transactions with the sanctioned network could face secondary sanctions.
