RASC News Agency: The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced today Wednesday, April 2, that it has imposed new sanctions on multiple entities and individuals based in Russia for their involvement in supplying critical support to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. According to the Treasury Department, these sanctioned networks have played a key role in procuring weapons, sensitive equipment, and stolen Ukrainian grain for the Houthis, a group backed by Iran and notorious for its destabilizing activities in the region. Among those blacklisted are Hoshang Ghairat, an Afghanistani businessman residing in Russia, and his brother Sohrab Ghairat. The two are accused of working in coordination with Saeed al-Jamal, the Houthis’ senior financial operator, to purchase millions of dollars’ worth of goods from Russia and funnel them into Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen.
Additionally, the Treasury Department has identified eight digital wallets allegedly used by the Houthis to transfer financial resources linked to their military operations. U.S. Under Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bennett underscored the importance of Saeed al-Jamal’s financial network in sustaining the Houthis’ war efforts, stating: “The Houthis continue to rely on this network to secure essential supplies and sustain their terrorist war machine. Today’s action reaffirms our commitment to dismantling their financial and logistical capabilities, preventing them from further destabilizing regional security.”
This marks yet another round of U.S. sanctions against individuals and entities operating in Russia for allegedly supporting the Houthis. Washington has previously asserted that a significant portion of the Houthis’ financial and logistical backing comes from business networks operating in Russia. Reports suggest that several of the newly sanctioned individuals are Afghanistani nationals with extensive business operations in the country.
