U.S. Treasury targets network financing Houthi attacks

UPI: The U.S. Treasury said it has identified numerous financial entities responsible for facilitating financial aid from Iran to Houthi rebels.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Thursday designated one person and three entities responsible for facilitating financial aid from Iran to Houthi forces active in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The statement from OFAC named head of the Currency Exchangers Association in Sanaa, Yemen, and three exchange houses in Yemen and Turkey responsible for helping transfer millions of dollars to the Houthis at the direction of Sa'id al-Jamal, who is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.

As a result of the Treasury's sanctions, all property and interests in property of the designated entities that are in the U.S. are now blocked and must be reported to OFAC. The office also warned any persons or financial institutions that engage in certain transactions with the sanctioned entities may be subject to sanctions themselves.

"Today's action underscores our resolve to restrict the illicit flow of funds to the Houthis, who continue to conduct dangerous attacks on international shipping and risk further destabilizing the region," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson.

Houthi forces have launched numerous missiles at commercial vessels near Yemen's coastline,"sharply" disrupting the free flow of commerce throughout the region since October, the Treasury said.

Thursday's action came shortly after Iran's supreme leader Ayatolla Ali Khameni denounced Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza as "bloodthirsty and cruel" and called on Islamic governments to take action to prevent vital shipments from reaching Israel.

Houthis most recently launched a missile strike Tuesday against a container ship owned by Swiss shipping giant MSC in the Red Sea en route from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. MSC said all crew were safe with no injuries, and no details of damage to the vessel was reported.