US imposes sanctions on companies shipping Iranian goods that help fund the Houthis

US imposes sanctions on companies shipping Iranian goods that help fund the Houthis
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

The US Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on two companies for shipping Iranian goods which are sold to help fund the Houthis.

The US imposed the sanctions a day after carrying out strikes in Yemen against the Houthis in response to the spate of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

The goods were shipped on behalf of a US-sanctioned, Iranian-backed financier, Sa'id al-Jamal, according to the Treasury Department. He was sanctioned by the US in June 2021 for his role in helping to fund the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qods Force and the Houthis.

The revenue from the sales of these goods "supports the Houthis and their continued attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden," the Treasury Department said in a news release.

Friday's sanctions target:

Cielo Maritime Ltd, a Hong Kong-based company that the Treasury Department said "has shipped Iranian commodities to China in support of Sa’id al-Jamal,"
Global Tech Marine Services Inc, a United Arab Emirates-based company that "has similarly shipped Iranian commodities in support of Sa’id alJamal."
In addition to Friday's sanctions against the two companies, the Treasury Department also identified as blocked property four ships used by the companies to disguise the Iranian origin of the goods.