US sanctions two ship owners and vessels over Iranian cargoes for Houthi financier

The US Treasury on 6 March designated Marshall Islands-based Reneez Shipping Limited and Hong Kong-based Hongkong Unitop Group Ltd, and identified the Palau-flagged Reneez and Panama-flagged Eternal Fortune as blocked property. Treasury says the ships carried tens of thousands of tonnes of Iranian commodities for the network of Sa'id al-Jamal, whom it describes as a Houthi financial facilitator backed by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Qods Force. It alleges falsified cargo documents and manipulated AIS signals were used during ship-to-ship transfers, including with the previously sanctioned Artura. Under Secretary Brian Nelson said the groups rely on illicit commodity sales to fund attacks on shipping.

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