The Houthi network transports Iranian oil through the Red Sea via what’s been dubbed as the “Ghost Fleet” and uses the funds from this allegedly “illicit” oil trade to carry out attacks against Israel at Iran’s behest.
The United States has sanctioned two Indian businessmen for their alleged ties to a Houthi network which transports Iranian oil to raise funds for carrying out attacks on Israel and disrupting shipping in the Red Sea region. According to an official press release by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), sanctioned have been imposed on 18 companies, including two Indian nationals– Rahul Rattanlal Warikoo and Dipankar Mohan Keot
As per the release, both Warikoo and Keot are liked to the UAE-based Indo Gulf Ship Management, which has alleged links to the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis.
What is the Houthi network?
The Houthis are a Shia political movement with a militia that controls parts of Yemen, including the capital Sa’ana. The Houthi ‘rebels’ are backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force wing and have carried out attacks on the on ships in the Red Sea region which is on the route from Asia to the Suez Canal and endangering maritime trade on the route from Asia to the Suez Canal in support of Palestinian armed group Hamas which is embroiled in a bloody war with Israel since October 7 last year.
The Houthis transport Iranian oil through the Red Sea via what’s been dubbed as the “Ghost Fleet” and uses the funds from this allegedly “illicit” oil trade to carry out attacks against Israel at Iran’s behest.
US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan has said that Washington was taking action against “the ‘Ghost Fleet’ that carries Iran’s illicit oil to buyers around the world”.
US sanctions Houthi-linked firms
Meanwhile, the US has sanctions 18 companies linked to the Houthi network, including Marshall Islands-registered Changtai Shipping and Motionavigations Limited and UAE-based Indo Gulf Ship Management.
According to the OFAC release, Rahul Rattanlal Warikoo, a UAE and India-based Indian national, acts as the as the managing director of Indo Gulf Ship Management, and also has managerial roles US-designated companies Safe Seas Ship Management and Aurum Ship Management, which have been implicated in Iranian oil shipments for Iran’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics and the al-Jamal network.
Another Indian national, Dipankar Mohan Keot, who is based in Hong Kong and India, is the technical manager of Indo Gulf Ship Management, charged with monitoring vessel operations, including the budget and expenditure of the vessels under the company’s oversight, it said.
Under the sanctions, all their property and interests in property that are owned directly or indirectly, with more than 50 per cent stake, would be blocked and reported to the OFAC, the release added.
Ship captains sanctioned for aiding al-Jamal network
The sanctions also include two Vessel captains Ali Barkhordar and Wahid Ullah Durrani, who allegedly provided financial, material or technological support to the al-Jamal network. According to the US, al-Jamal network funds Houthi attacks in the region, including missile and unmanned aerial vehicle attacks on Israel and commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea.
“The Houthis remain reliant on Sa’id al-Jamal’s international network and affiliated facilitators to transport and sell Iranian oil, continuing their campaign of violence. The Treasury remains committed to utilising all available tools to disrupt this key source of illicit revenue that enables the Houthis’ destabilising activities,” said Bradley T Smith, acting undersecretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence.
In mid-August, Iranian national Barkhordar, while acting as the master of the US-sanctioned vessel YORGOS, conducted a ship-to-ship transfer with the US-sanctioned Guyanese-flagged vessel OLYMPICS, captained by Pakistani national Durrani, to load sanctioned oil cargo on behalf of al-Jamal, the release said.