US sanctions firms in UAE and Hong Kong to target Houthi funding
The United States has imposed sanctions on a company in Hong Kong and another in the United Arab Emirates (‘UAE’) which, it says, help finance Iran’s military Qods Force and Yemen’s Houthis. The move comes as Washington continues its crackdown on the rebels who have disrupted international shipping for weeks with attacks on Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea.
The Treasury Department said that the two designated firms – Cielo Marine Ltd. in Hong Kong and Global Tech Marine Services Inc. in Dubai – ‘have been involved in the shipment of Iranian commodities in support of the Iran-based, Houthi financial facilitator Sa’id al-Jamal and his network.’
‘The revenue from the commodity sales supports the Houthis and their continued attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,’ the Treasury said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (‘OFAC’) said it was ‘also identifying four vessels as blocked property in which these companies have an interest,’ adding that one of the vessels had been used to ship Iranian commodities to China.
Treasury announced the latest sanctions a day after US and UK forces launched strikes against Houthi forces and warned them to immediately halt attacks on merchant vessels.
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2022
See here for more information on the newly designated individuals and entities:
