The United States and United Kingdom have sanctioned a deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a member of Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthi rebel group.
Mohammad Reza Falahzadeh, deputy commander of the IRGC’s expeditionary Quds force, and Houthi militant member Ibrahim al-Nashiri were designated under the sanctions.
The US also sanctioned companies registered in Hong Kong and the Marshall Islands, along with two vessels used to ship Iranian commodities.
“The revenue generated through these illicit networks enables the Huthis’ militant efforts, including numerous terrorist attacks in the region using advanced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles,” the Treasury said in a statement.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthis have been targeting shipping in the Red Sea area for months, despite repeated US and UK strikes aimed at degrading their ability to threaten the vital global trade route.
The Quds force, the IRGC branch responsible for foreign operations, supports militant groups across the region, including the Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah.
“Today’s action underscores our resolve to target efforts by the IRGC-QF and the Houthis to evade U.S. sanctions and fund further attacks in the region,” said US Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.
“As the Houthis persistently threaten the security of peaceful international commerce, the United States and the United Kingdom will continue to disrupt the funding streams that enable these destabilizing activities.”
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron called the Houthis’ attacks “unacceptable, illegal and a threat to innocent lives and freedom of navigation.”
Source » iranwire