WASHINGTON: The US Treasury Department unveiled sanctions Thursday against a network involved in financing the growing number of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militia against international shipping in the Red Sea.
The Iran-backed group has been attacking vessels in the region with drones and missiles since shortly after the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October, forcing cargo ships to avoid the Suez Canal — one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
In response, the United States announced an international coalition to protect ships passing through the Red Sea in a bid to ensure freedom of navigation through the busy waterway.
In a statement, the US Treasury said it had sanctioned the head of the Currency Exchangers Association in Sana’a, along with three exchanges in Yemen and Turkiye responsible for “facilitating the flow of Iranian financial assistance” to the Houthis.
It added that these people facilitated the transfer of “millions of dollars” to the Houthis at the direction of Sa’id Al-Jamal, a group linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp.
Unlike the Houthis, the IRGC has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.
“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,” Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.
US sanctions network financing Houthi Red Sea shipping attacks
https://arab.news/9h3zx
US sanctions network financing Houthi Red Sea shipping attacks
- The Houthis have been attacking vessels in the region with drones and missiles since shortly after the Israel-Hamas war broke out
Gaza fuel running short after Israel closes borders amid Iran war
- Israel’s military closed all Gaza border crossings on Saturday after announcing air strikes on Iran carried out jointly with the US
- Israeli authorities say the crossings cannot be operated safely during war
CAIRO/JERUSALEM: Gaza is rapidly running out of its limited fuel supply and stocks of food staples may become tight, officials say, after Israel blocked the entry of fuel and goods into the war-shattered territory, citing fighting with Iran.
Israel’s military closed all Gaza border crossings on Saturday after announcing air strikes on Iran carried out jointly with the United States. Israeli authorities say the crossings cannot be operated safely during war and have not said how long they would be shut.
Few days’ worth of supplies
Gaza is wholly dependent on fuel brought in by trucks from Israel and Egypt and a lack of fresh supplies would put hospital operations at risk and threaten water and sanitation services, local officials say. Most Palestinians in Gaza are internally displaced after Israel’s two-year war with Hamas militants.
“I expect we have maybe a couple of days’ running time,” said United Nations official Karuna Herrmann, who directs fuel distribution in Gaza.
Amjad Al-Shawa, a Palestinian aid leader in Gaza, who works with the UN and NGOs, estimated fuel supplies could last three or four days, while stocks of vegetables, flour, and other essentials could also soon run out if the crossings remain shut.
Reuters was unable to independently verify those estimates.
Israel’s COGAT military agency, which controls access to Gaza, said that enough food had been delivered to the territory since the start of an October truce to provide for the population.
“(The) existing stock is expected to suffice for an extended period,” COGAT said, without elaborating. It declined to comment on potential fuel shortages.
The truce was part of broader US-backed plan to end the war that involves reopening the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, increasing the flow of aid into the enclave, and rebuilding it.
Hamada Abu Laila, a displaced Palestinian in Gaza, said the closures were stoking fear of a return of famine, which gripped parts of the enclave last year after Israel blocked aid deliveries for 11 weeks.
“Why is it our fault, in Gaza, with regional wars between Israel, Iran, and America? It is not our fault,” Abu Laila said.
