After RSF Companies, the US “Discovers” That Houthi Financing Firms Are Based in the UAE
Washington – Sudanese
Gradually, the US administration is being compelled to disclose its prior knowledge that the United Arab Emirates has served as one of the hubs for the “money laundering of rebel terrorist groups”, leaving it with little choice but to acknowledge this publicly and impose sanctions.
After the US Treasury previously imposed sanctions on companies linked to the Rapid Support Forces—companies involved in arms procurement and the financing of mercenary recruitment and operating from the UAE—it announced three days ago (16 January), through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the designation of 21 individuals and entities, as well as one vessel, under a new sanctions package. This time, those designated were accused of “involvement in the transport of petroleum products, the procurement of weapons and dual-use equipment, and the provision of financial services to the Iran-backed terrorist organisation Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis”.
In a press release, the US Treasury stated that these measures target the financing channels between the Iranian government and the Houthis, describing them as “a continuation of previous actions taken by the Treasury Department to curb the Iranian regime’s use of its oil wealth to finance terrorist groups in the region, at the expense of the welfare of the Iranian people”.
The statement explained that, despite international sanctions pressure, the Houthis continue to generate substantial revenues through illicit oil sales, earning more than USD 2 billion annually. As part of the Houthi oil sales operation, “the Iranian government sells oil to the Houthis and provides a free monthly shipment through Iranian-owned or affiliated companies based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates”.
The statement named the Houthi-affiliated oil companies and financial intermediaries targeted by the sanctions, noting that Al-Sharafi Oil Services, Adeema Oil LLC—owned by Walid Fathi Salam Baydani—and Arkan Mars Petroleum are among the most prominent Houthi-linked companies in the UAE specialising in facilitating oil and gas operations.
It further confirmed that these companies receive financial support from the Iranian government and maintain ties with Iranian nationals. Al-Saa Petroleum and Shipping, owned by Iranian national Imran Asghar, was also identified as one of the principal Iran-linked companies in the UAE, facilitating financial transactions between the Iranian government and Houthi-affiliated oil firms. Al-Saa has additionally acted as a front for settling payments and reviewing transactions on behalf of Arkan Mars Petroleum. The Houthis, the statement said, pay Iran-linked companies by transferring funds to exchanges in the UAE, including Jannat Al-Anhar General Trading, via money-exchange companies in Sana’a, Yemen.
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