U.S. tightens financial vises on Houthi facilitator
July 18 (UPI) -- The United Staes has imposed additional sanctions targeting a Yemen facilitator of the Houthi rebels, as the Biden administration continues to tighten its financial vises on the Iran-backed militia that has been attacking shipping vessels amid Israel's war in Gaza.
The Houthis have attacked more than 50 commercial vessels transiting through the Red Sea since Nov. 19 when its forces, embolden by Israel's war against Iran proxy militia Hamas, began executing a maritime trade blockade in the region, claiming solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Amid the blockade, the Biden administration has repeatedly targeted the network of Sa'id al-Jamal with sanctions to weaken the Houthi's hold on the Red Sea, accusing the Iran-based financier of generating tens of millions in dollars for the rebels by shipping Iranian commodities, including oil.
On Thursday, the Treasury sanctioned Mohammad Roslan Bin Ahmad, 55, and Zhuang Liang, 46, as well as three firms and several vessels for being complicit in al-Jamal's illicit network.
"These actions aim to disrupt the network run by U.S.-designated facilitator Sa'id al-Jamal that is financing the Houthis and their destructive activities in the region," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
"Today's targets form part of a multifaceted illicit operations network, ranging from clients and facilitators to insurance providers, vessels, and ship management firms. We will continue to use all available tools to disrupt funding streams that enable the Houthis to continue their destabilizing activity in the region."
Bin Ahmad, a dual citizen of Malaysia and Singapore, was hit for providing al-Jamal's network with management and brokering services, including negotiating shipments to Malaysia and vessels to trade illicit Russian and Venezuelan goods, the Treasury said.
Zhuang was blacklisted on accusations of money laundering and conducting other finance schemes for al-Jamal's network. The Chinese native is also accused of assisting al-Jamal's business partner, Houthi-affiliate Abdi Nasir Ali Mahamud, in circumventing sanctions.
Al-Jamal was previously designated by the United States, along with other Western democracies, as was Mahamud.
Several vessels were also identified by the Treasury over their involvement with al-Jamal as were firms that were his clients and provided his shipping vessels with insurance.
Sanctions generally freeze all assets in the name of those designated while prohibiting them access to the U.S. financial system and barring U.S. persons form doing business with them.
