IRGC-QF Deputy Commander and Houthi member targeted in coordinated US-UK action

On Tuesday, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the United Kingdom took action against the Deputy Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), Mohammad Reza Falahzadeh and a Houthi group member.

OFAC also designated the owner and operator of a vessel used to ship Iranian commodities, which were sold to support the Houthis and the IRGC-QF.

"The revenue generated through these illicit networks enables the Houthis' militant efforts, including numerous terrorist attacks in the region using advanced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles," said a press release.

Tuesday's announcement follows the recent US Department of State designation of Ansarallah (known as the Houthis) as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" due to the ongoing attacks on maritime commerce in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

"Today's action underscores our resolve to target efforts by the IRGC-QF and the Houthis to evade US sanctions and fund further attacks in the region," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. 

"As the Houthis persistently threaten the security of peaceful international commerce, the United States and the United Kingdom will continue to disrupt the funding streams that enable these destabilizing activities," Nelson added.

The current action is being taken pursuant to the counterterrorism authority Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, targeting terrorist groups, supporters, and those who aid terrorism acts.

Additionally, the IRGC-QF was selected pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 25, 2007, for providing support to multiple terrorist groups.

 

Moreover, the OFAC designated Ibrahim al-Nashiri, a Houthi group member who has supported the group's militant efforts, pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, "for having acted for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Ansarallah."