WASHINGTON — The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a group of Yemeni and Turkish currency exchange entities that allegedly help provide funds to Houthi fighters who have been carrying out attacks on commercial shipping vessels in the southern Red Sea.
The sanctions affect the director of a financial intermediary in Sana’a, Yemen, and three exchange houses in Yemen and Turkey. The US Treasury Department alleges that these individuals and companies helped transfer millions of dollars to the Houthis under the direction of Iranian financial facilitator Sa’id al-Jamal.
The sanctions block access to property and bank accounts in the United States and prevent sanctioned individuals and companies from doing business with Americans.
Thursday’s measure is in addition to other economic sanctions imposed on the Houthis.
Brian E. Nelson, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Thursday’s action “underlines our determination to restrict the illicit flow of funds to the Houthis, who continue to carry out dangerous attacks against international shipping with the risk of further destabilizing the region.
Nelson said the United States and its allies “will continue to target major facilitation networks that enable the destabilizing activities of the Houthis and their backers in Iran.”
The Houthis have sporadically attacked ships in the region in the past, but attacks have increased since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, and have spiked following the October 17 explosion at a Gaza hospital, which left many dead. and injured. Houthi leaders have insisted that Israel is their target.
Source: With information from AP
