U.S. Sanctions 18 Entities, Vessels & Individuals Involved In Illegal Iranian Oil Shipments

The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned a network of companies, vessels and individuals involved in the shipment of Iranian oil to support the Houthis.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on 18 organizations associated with Sa’id al-Jamal, a leading financial facilitator for the Houthi militias, backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force(IRGC-QF).

The revenue generated by these operations is said to fund Houthi actions in the region, including missile and drone strikes on Israel and commercial ships in the Red Sea.

Bradley T. Smith, the acting under-secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, says the Houthis continue to use al-Jamal’s extensive network to transport and sell Iranian oil, which funds their ongoing violent activities.

The sanctions imposed under Executive Order 13224 are part of the U.S. attempt to disrupt the illegal oil trade that financially supports Houthi operations.

OFAC had previously sanctioned al-Jamal in 2021 for his involvement with the IRGC-QF, which was designated in 2007 for supporting various terrorist groups.

The al-Jamal network operates across several countries, transporting Iranian oil using front companies and shipping operators.

Changtai Shipping, registered in the Marshall Islands, is one of the sanctioned companies. It owns the crude oil tanker KAPOK, flying the Panama flag.

In late 2023, the tanker transported over a million barrels of Iranian crude oil on behalf of the al-Jamal network and Abdi Nasir Ali Mahamud, a Turkish businessman associated with the Houthis.

Changtai Shipping, along with many other firms involved in the management and operations of vessels shipping Iranian oil, has been designated under E.O. 13224. Motionavigations Limited and Indo Gulf Ship Management are two companies that operate vessels that are involved in the illegal oil trade.

Ukrainian national Yevhen Skriabin, the owner of Motionavigations Limited and its subsidiaries Eco Max Trading FZE and Eco Max FZE, has also been sanctioned.

These companies manage vessels like the LIANA, MARBEL, and TROPHY, all of which have been linked to the shipment of Iranian oil. Due to their ties with the al-Jamal network, the vessels have been designated as blocked property.

Along with the companies, some people involved in the network have also been sanctioned. Rahul Rattanlal Warikoo, an Indian national and managing director of Indo Gulf Ship Management, and Dipankar Mohan Keot, the company’s technical manager, have been designated for their involvement in oil shipments for the al-Jamal network.

The sanctions also target Pakistani national Wahid Ullah Durrani and Iranian national Ali Barkhordar, captains of vessels involved in ship-to-ship oil transfers.

In August, Barkhordar, as captain of the U.S-sanctioned vessel YORGOS, facilitated an oil transfer with the Guyanese-flagged vessel OLYMPICS, captained by Durrani, to transport sanctioned oil cargo for al-Jamal.

Reference: US Treasury Department

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