US Sanctions Two Indians for Alleged Connections to Houthi Network
The United States has imposed sanctions on two Indian nationals for their purported involvement with a Houthi network accused of transporting Iranian oil to finance activities that disrupt shipping in the Red Sea and conduct attacks on Israel.
The individuals sanctioned are Rahul Rattanlal Warikoo Rattanlal, Managing Director, and Dipankar Mohan Keot, Technical Manager, both linked to the Sharjah-based Indo Gulf Ship Management (IGSM) company. The sanctions, announced by the US Treasury Department, freeze all their property in the US and any entities in which they hold more than 50 percent interest.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that the two are connected to a financial network led by Houthi operative Sa’id al-Jamal, who is reportedly supported by the Iran-based Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force. The Treasury Department stated that IGSM operated a vessel used by al-Jamal’s network to transport millions of dollars worth of Iranian fuel oil.
Rattanlal, who operates between India and the UAE, has held management roles in US-designated companies like Safe Seas Ship Management FZE and Aurum Ship Management FZC, which have been linked to Iranian oil shipments for Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and the al-Jamal network.
Keot, based in India and Hong Kong, oversees vessel operations for IGSM, managing budgets and expenditures. The Treasury Department noted that IGSM manages and operates the Barbados-flagged ship Kukki, in which it holds an interest.
Bradley T. Smith, Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated, “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, a Shia political movement with a militia controlling parts of Yemen, including the capital Sana’a, have been involved in attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea, which jeopardizes maritime trade between Asia and the Suez Canal. They have also conducted missile strikes on Israel.
This sanction follows last week’s action against Mumbai-based Gabbaro Ship Services Private Ltd., which was accused of knowingly engaging in significant transactions for transporting petroleum from Iran. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan noted that the US is actively targeting the “Ghost Fleet” responsible for carrying Iran’s illicit oil to global buyers.
