Two shipping companies transported goods on behalf of Iranian funds
Three people killed in Houthi attack on merchant ship… 4 injured
Amid the first death since Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked a civilian ship transiting the Red Sea, the U.S. Treasury has imposed additional sanctions aimed at disrupting the flow of Houthi funds.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 6th (local time), the Treasury Department issued a new economic penalty on two shipping companies and two ships that illegally transported goods to the Houthis on behalf of Saeed al-Jamal, a finance expert in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force. Sanctions were imposed.
The companies are headquartered in Hong Kong and the Marshall Islands. The Treasury Department suspects the companies falsified documents and manipulated shipping signals to conceal the fact that Iran was helping finance the Houthis.
Brian Nelson, Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, explained that the Houthis and their Iranian Revolutionary Guard backers “continue to rely on the sale of illicit goods to fund attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”
It was not revealed what products were being transported on the vessel. The Treasury Department previously explained that Al-Jamal earned millions of dollars by selling Iranian oil and other products through a network of intermediaries.
Houthi rebels have been attacking civilian ships passing through the Red Sea since November last year, claiming solidarity with Hamas after the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip.
Shipping companies began suspending operations on the Red Sea-Suez Canal-Mediterranean route, one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes. As the global supply chain was disrupted, the United States responded by forming a multinational coalition in December of last year.
Despite international efforts, the Houthis are continuing to attack ships, with the first fatality reported since the conflict this morning.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that three sailors were killed on a Red Sea merchant ship in a missile attack by Houthi rebels. At least four crew members were injured and the ship suffered serious damage, it said.
Previously, the Washington Post, citing a government official, reported that Houthi rebels attacked the cargo ship ‘MV True Confidence’ passing through the Gulf of Aden at around 11:30 a.m. local time with an anti-ship ballistic missile, killing two sailors.
The cargo ship was described as being shipped to Barbados and owned by Liberia. However, the Associated Press reported that the ship was previously owned by a fund company in Los Angeles.
The United States condemned it and said it would take corresponding measures.
U.S. White House Spokesperson Curin-Jean-Pierre said at a regular briefing that day, “It is not just our problem, it is clearly an international problem,” and announced measures, saying, “We are cooperating by forming a multinational coalition to respond to the Houthis, and this will continue in the future.” .
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also said, “We will continue to hold them accountable,” and urged governments around the world to do the same.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.