The United States is imposing sanctions against a shipping company accused of helping transfer Houthi-linked Iranian commodities to China.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is imposing the sanctions against Vishnu Inc., claiming that one of the company’s vessels has been involved in “illicit shipments” to China, thereby supporting Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-GF) and Houthi financial facilitator Sa-id al-Jamal. Al-Jamal is currently sanctioned by U.S. counter-terrorism authorities.
According to OFAC, on January 31, the
Vishnu-owned vessel Lady Sofia engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer with the Mehle, against which sanctions have recently been imposed. During that transfer, the Mehle allegedly disguised itself as a fictitious vessel called the Amor, and offloaded Iranian cargo to the Lady Sofia that it reportedly received on behalf of al-Jamal.
Recent Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea have thrown the global supply chain into chaos, effectively cutting off a crucial shipping lane through the Suez Canal. These latest sanctions are part of an effort from the U.S. to target the group’s funding.
“We remain committed to disrupting the IRGC-QF and the Houthis’ attempts to evade U.S. sanctions and fund additional terrorist attacks,” treasury terrorism intelligence under-secretary Brian E. Nelson said. “The United States will continue to target the key funding streams that threaten civilians and peaceful international trade.”
