US sanctions 2 Indians for alleged ties with Houthis

Arul Louis

New York, Oct 18 (IANS) The US has sanctioned two Indians for their alleged ties to a Houthi network transporting Iranian oil to raise funds for its activities in disrupting shipping in the Red Sea region and attacking Israel.

Both are linked to a Sharjah-based Indo Gulf Ship Management (IGSM) company -- Rahul Rattanlal Warikoo Rattanlal as Managing Director and Dipankar Mohan Keot as Technical Manager, according to the US Treasury Department.

Under the sanctions, all their property and any others in which they have more than 50 per cent interest are frozen in the US.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller asserted on Thursday that they had ties to the network of Houthi financial operative Sa’id al-Jamal, who in turn was backed by the Iran-based Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.

The Treasury Department said that IGSM served as the operator of a vessel that was used by the al-Jamal network to ship several millions of dollars worth of Iranian fuel oil.

Rattanlal, who is based in India and the UAE, has served in management roles for US-designated companies Safe Seas Ship Management FZE and Aurum Ship Management FZC, “which have been implicated in Iranian oil shipments for Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and the al-Jamal network”, the Department said.

Keot, who is based in India and Hong Kong, as the technical manager of Indo Gulf Ship Management “is responsible for monitoring vessel operations, including the budget and expenditure of the vessels under Indo Gulf Ship Management LLC’s oversight”, the Treasury Department said.

IGSM is the manager and operator of the Barbados-flagged ship Kukki as well as having an interest in it, according to the department.

Bradley T. Smith, the Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said, “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 Houthis are a Shia political movement with a militia that controls parts of Yemen, including the capital Sa’ana.

They have attacked shipping 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 Hamas which is facing retaliation for attacks on Israel.

They have also launched missile attacks on Israel.

Last week, the US sanctioned a Mumbai-based Gabbaro Ship Services Private Ltd which it alleged “knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the transport of petroleum from Iran” by acting as the technical manager for the crude oil tanker Hornet.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said that Washington was taking action against “the 'Ghost Fleet' that carries Iran’s illicit oil to buyers around the world”.

--IANS

al/sha