Designated in the
sanctions are Hong Kong ship operator Cap Tees Shipping Co. and the 1998-built, 15,084 dwt crude oil
tanker Artura, which is said to have been involved in another
saga of illicit ship-to-ship transfers and fake vessel names.Also named by OFAC today is the Deputy
Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF),
Mohammad Reza Falahzadeh, a Houthi group member.
Houthi arms shipment intercepted by U.S. [Photo: U.S. Navy]
OFAC says that the IRGC-QF has provided the Houthis
with an increasingly sophisticated arsenal of weapons and the training to
deploy these weapons against commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in
the region. Iranian military
officials have also provided intelligence support to target vessels transiting
the region, providing key support to enable the Houthis’ maritime attacks
against international shipping. Since mid-November 2023, the Houthis have
attempted dozens of strikes targeting vessels in the region.
OFAC says that the
IRGC-QF and the Houthis engage in the sale of Iranian commodities to foreign
buyers to generate revenue to fund Houthi arms and operations. Much of this
activity is directed through the network of Iran-based, IRGC-QF-backed Houthi
financial facilitator Sa’id al-Jamal, whom OFAC designated on June 10, 2021 for
his support to the IRGC-QF.
According to
OFAC, Artura (IMO: 9150365), which is owned and operated by
Cap Tees Shipping Co. Limited, has transported Iranian commodities for the
network of Sa’id al-Jamal. The Artura is said to have
conducted ship-to-ship transfers to receive Iranian commodities before
transferring the commodities to the Mehle, a tanker sanctioned on
January 12, 2024 for its role selling Iranian commodities for Sa’id al-Jamal.
The Artura, says OFAC, has obfuscated its identity by using
the name of a different vessel, Sanan II, to complete some of
its shipments.
Cap Tees Shipping Co.,
Limited is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having
materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or
technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Sa’id
al-Jamal. The Artura is being identified as property in which
Cap Tees Shipping Co., Limited. has an interest.