US sanctions Iranian financier for laundering millions for Houthis

The US Treasury Department sanctioned an Iranian citizen based in Turkey accused of laundering millions of dollars in support of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, as Washington intensifies efforts to disrupt financial networks backing the Iran-aligned group.

Hassan Jafari allegedly funnelled funds through a network linked to a senior Houthi financial official who was also sanctioned on Wednesday, according to a statement by the US treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

"Turkiye-based Iranian money launderer Hassan Jafari has worked with Hushang and Sa’id al-Jamal to launder dollars on behalf of Sa’id al-Jamal’s network, enabling the network’s sanctions evasion schemes," the statement read.

"Jafari also arranged payments worth millions of dollars in support of shipments benefiting the Houthis."

The network is backed by IRGC's Quds Force, according to the US treasury, and has facilitated the purchase of commodities from Russia, including weapons, sensitive goods, and stolen Ukrainian grain, for shipment to Houthi-controlled Yemen.