2025-04-02T21:14:29+00:00
Shafaq News/ The US Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on a network of Houthi financial facilitators and procurement operatives accused of securing weapons, sensitive goods, and stolen Ukrainian grain from Russia for shipment to Yemen.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control ([OFAC](https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0068)) said the network operates under the direction of Sa’id al-Jamal, a senior Houthi financial official linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). The sanctions also targeted eight digital asset wallets used to move funds supporting Houthi operations.
“The Houthis remain reliant on Sa’id al-Jamal and his network to procure critical goods to supply the group’s terrorist war machine,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “Today’s action underscores our commitment to degrading the Houthis’ ability to threaten the region through their destabilizing activities.”
The US has accused the Houthis of launching missile and drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, damaging vessels, killing civilians, and disrupting global trade. Washington says Iran’s support enables these attacks.
The sanctions fall under Executive Order 13224, which designates individuals and entities linked to terrorism. The US State Department officially labeled the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group on February 16, 2024. Sa’id al-Jamal was sanctioned in 2021 for his support of the IRGC-QF.
_Key Individuals and Entities Sanctioned_
Among those designated are Afghan businessmen Hushang and Sohrab Ghairat, who allegedly helped al-Jamal secure weapons and coordinate Houthi trade in Russia. “In summer and fall 2024, Hushang and Sohrab, at Sa’id al-Jamal’s direction, orchestrated at least two shipments of stolen Ukrainian grain from Crimea to Yemen on board the Russia-flagged AM THESEUS (IMO: 9720263), also known as the ZAFAR.”
Hong Kong-based AM Asia M6 Ltd, which owns and operates AM THESEUS, was also sanctioned, along with two Russian nationals, Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Vidanov and Yuri Vladimirovich Belyakov, who captained the ship during its voyages.
OFAC also targeted three Russia-based firms—LLC Sky Frame, LLC Edison, and LLC Kolibri Group—linked to Sohrab Ghairat. The companies were sanctioned for being owned or controlled by him.
_Money Laundering and Sanctions Evasion_
The Treasury Department also sanctioned Hassan Jafari, “a Turkiye-based Iranian money launderer,” for allegedly handling multi-million-dollar transactions for al-Jamal’s network. Jafari is accused of enabling Houthi-linked sanctions evasion and financing shipments supporting the group.