Washington: The US has imposed sanctions on 18 companies and individuals from various countries for their links with Yemen's Houthi rebels. Two Indians are also among those who have been banned.

The US government has struck at the Houthis' illegal oil trade with Iran and other sources of funding. The companies that have been sanctioned include Marshall Islands-registered Changtai Shipping and Navigations Limited and UAE's Indo Gulf Ship Management. The two Indians who have come under the purview of the sanctions are associated with the Indo Gulf Ship Management Company.

Dipankar Mohan Keot does business from Hong Kong

According to the US government notification, Indian citizen Rahul Ratanlal Warikoo is the managing director of the company. He is also associated with the American company-Safe Seas Ship Management and some other companies. Another Indian Dipankar Mohan Keot does business from Hong Kong. He is a technical manager in Indo Gulf Ship Management Company.

Therefore, he has also come under the purview of American sanctions. The banned people are barred from travelling to America as well as working in the American economy. It is known that Houthis have continuously attacked ships passing through the Red Sea in support of Hamas.

This was said in the release

Under the sanctions, all of their assets and interests in assets owned directly or indirectly with a stake greater than 50 percent will be blocked and reported to OFAC, the release said. The ship's captain, Ali Barkhordar, and Wahid Ullah Durrani are also being sanctioned for providing financial, material or technical support to the al-Jamal network.

The US said revenue from al-Jamal's network enables Houthi attacks in the region, including missile and unmanned aerial vehicle strikes on Israel and commercial ships transiting the Red Sea.

Bradley T. Smith, the acting under secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the Houthis depend on Sayed al-Jamal’s international network and allied facilitators to transport and sell Iranian oil, and continue their campaign of violence.

America had imposed a ban on another company

Last week, the US imposed sanctions on Mumbai-based Gabbaro Ship Services Pvt Ltd, which it accused of knowingly engaging in a key transaction to transport petroleum from Iran by acting as the technical manager of the crude oil tanker Hornet.