OFAC Sanctions Network Moving Goods, Weapons to Houthis
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned a network of people and companies connected to Sa’id al-Jamal, a sanctioned senior Houthi financial official backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force. OFAC said the network has bought tens of millions of dollars’ worth of commodities from Russia, including weapons and other sensitive goods, for the Houthis in Yemen. The agency also sanctioned eight digital asset wallets used by the Houthis to move money.
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OFAC designated businesspeople and companies in Russia and Hong Kong, including Russia-based Hushang Ghairat and his brother, Sohrab Ghairat, for working with al-Jamal to procure weapons. They also helped move at least two shipments of stolen Ukrainian grain from Crimea to Yemen on the Russia-flagged vessel Am Theseus, also known as the Zafar. Hong Kong-based AM Asia M6 Ltd. is the registered owner, manager and operator of that vessel, and Russian national Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Vidanov was the captain through the end of last year.
OFAC also said Sohrab Ghairat is the general director of three Russia-based companies: LLC Sky Frame, LLC Edison and LLC Kolibri Group.
The agency also sanctioned Turkey-based Iranian money launderer Hassan Jafari for working with Hushang Ghairat and al-Jamal to launder money on behalf of al-Jamal’s network.