Seatrade Maritime: US sanctions against Houthi hit Dubai ship manager

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned 32 individuals and companies, as well as four vessels as the it tries to tighten the grip on Houthi fundraising and weapon’s procurement.

“The Houthis continue to threaten US personnel and assets in the Red Sea, attack our allies in the region, and undermine international maritime security in coordination with the Iranian regime,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley.  “We will continue applying maximum pressure against those who threaten the security of the United States and the region.”

On the shipping front the sanctions target companies and vessels involved in the supply of petroleum products to Houthi-controlled ports.

OFAC sanctioned Dubai-based Tyba Ship Management which is controlled by Muhammad Al-Sunaydar, a Houthi-linked businessman previously designated by Treasury on 22 July this year.

Four tankers operated by Tyba were also designated in the sanctions list – Barbados-flagged Star MM, Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessels Nobel M and Shria, and the Panama-flagged Black Rock. The world’s second largest ship registry Panama now automatically cancels the registration of sanctioned vessels.