The United States has imposed sanctions on a shipping company it accused of facilitating the transfer of Iranian commodities linked to a Houthi official to China.

The sanctions come as the U.S pushes to curb Houthi attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

The Yemeni group claims that it has been targeting Israel-linked ships to help bring an end to the war on Gaza.

The sanctions freeze the company’s assets in the US and make it largely illegal for US citizens to do business with the firm.

The U.S Department of the Treasury announced the measures against the firm, Vishnu Inc, registered in the Marshall Islands, saying that one of its vessels is involved in “illicit shipments.”

It stated that the cargo was “in support of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and Houthi financial facilitator, Sa’id al-Jamal, who is sanctioned under US counterterrorism authorities.”

U.S Treasury official, Brian Nelson said in a statement, “We remain committed to disrupting the IRGC-QF and the Houthis’ attempts to evade US sanctions and fund additional terrorist attacks.”

“The United States will continue to target the key funding streams that threaten civilians and peaceful international trade,” he added.

The sanctions appear to target both the Houthis and their Iranian allies.

According to the Treasury, Lady Sofia, a Vishnu Inc-owned ship, received a cargo of Iranian commodities from a vessel called Mehle, which is tied to an already sanctioned company linked to al-Jamal.

The Treasury did not specify the nature of the shipment, but Iranian oil and petrochemicals are under heavy US sanctions.

According to the Treasury, the ship is currently travelling to China.

The U.S statement did not say who owns the cargo beyond its Iranian origins and Mehle’s links to al-Jamal.

U.S Issues Russia-Related Sanctions

Separately, U.S issued new Russia-related sanctions on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, targeting several individuals and entities.

The US Treasury said in a statement that it had imposed sanctions on the two people and two entities for providing services to Russia’s government in connection with a foreign malign influence campaign, including attempting to impersonate legitimate media outlets.

The Treasury said that those targeted implemented a network of more than 60 websites that impersonated legitimate news websites and that used misleading social media accounts.

It was reported that those targeted are Moscow-based Social Design Agency, its founder Ilya Andreevich Gambashidze, Russia-based Company Group Structura LLC and its CEO and owner Nikolai Aleksandrovich Tupikin.

The sanctions freeze any of their U.S assets and generally bar Americans from dealing with them.

Those that engage in certain transactions with those targeted also risk being hit with sanctions.

“We are committed to exposing Russia’s extensive campaigns of government-directed deception, which are intended to mislead voters and undermine trust in democratic institutions in the US and around the world,” Treasury’s under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brian Nelson said in the statement.

Nelson added, “The US, along with our allies and partners, remains steadfast in defending our democratic principles and the credibility of our elections.”

A state department spokesperson also stated, “The Kremlin’s ultimate goal in waging these influence campaigns is to undermine democracies.

He said, “Efforts like these are meant to sow distrust in a free and independent press, and to drown out legitimate criticism with a flood of false information.”