Washington sanctions three vessels linked to Houthis
President Donald Trump-led US administration has sanctioned three vessels and three shipping companies for allegedly supporting Yemen-based Houthi militants.
IMAGE: A cargo ship sailing through the Red Sea. Getty Images
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has claimed that the Houthis control the strategic Red Sea ports of Hudaydah, Ras Isa and Al-Salif, “funneling millions of dollars derived from port revenue and the seizure of refined petroleum products imported through these ports.”
OFAC has sanctioned San Marino-flagged Tulip BZ and its operator Marshall Islands-registered Zaas Shipping for delivering liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa port.
The vessel was also used to transport petroleum products on behalf of Iran, OFAC said. “Operating under its former name, Gas Line, the Tulip BZ vessel was used to transport petrochemical products on behalf of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC),” it added.
The militant group is further accused of selling refined petroleum products delivered through the Yemeni ports at high prices in the country’s black market, “which enables Houthi operatives to purchase military materials,” according to OFAC.
The US administration has further sanctioned the Panama-flagged Maisan and White Whale, for delivering gas oil to the port of Ras Isa. The sanctions also target Mauritius-registered Bagsak Shipping and Marshall Islands-registered Great Success Shipping for facilitating these shipments.
The move reinforces Washington’s commitment to tightening sanctions on Iran and its proxies including the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Brent’s price found some support after the announcement, according to market analysts.
The Houthis have repeatedly used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and missiles since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023, to attack commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea.
These repeated attacks on commercial vessels have heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and raised safety concerns in the global shipping industry.
By Aparupa Mazumder
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