LONDON: The US imposed terrorism-related sanctions Tuesday on Iran’s envoy to the Houthi regime in Yemen.
Despite Iran describing him as an “ambassador,” Hasan Irlu operates for the overseas wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) known as the Quds Force, the US Treasury Department said.
Iran’s Al-Mustafa International University was also targeted with sanctions for serving as a platform for Quds Force operations and recruitment abroad.
Iran-based Pakistani citizen Yousef Ali Muraj was designated for helping the Quds Force “coordinate, plan and execute operations in the Middle East and United States.”
Iran announced Irlu’s arrival in Yemen’s Houthi controlled capital Sanaa in October. The Iran-backed Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014 forcing the internationally recognised government to flee and sparking the conflict that has devastated the country.
“By dispatching Irlu to Yemen, the IRGC-QF is signaling its intent to increase support to the Houthis and further complicate international efforts to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said as the sanctions were announced.
“The IRGC-QF is the Iranian regime’s primary tool to sow chaos and destruction across the Middle East,” Pompeo added. The United States will continue to take action against the IRGC-QF to disrupt its facilitation networks and cut off resources that support the terrorist group’s activities.”
*With Reuters
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