Three Product Tankers Sanctioned by U.S. for Deliveries to Houthis

The United States is continuing its pressure campaign against the Houthis in Yemen and Iran as the sponsors of the militants with a new round of sanctions. The Department of the Treasury and the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three product tankers and their shipping companies for offloading products in Yemen after the expiration of U.S. licenses at the beginning of April.

The U.S. previously had authorized the offloading of refined petroleum products in Yemen as part of humanitarian aid, but the licenses ended as of April 4, 2025, after the Trump administration on March 4, re-designated the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The U.S. is linking the products to Iran’s oil sanctions evasion and says the Houthis are profiting from the shipment of goods through ports they control in Yemen. In particular, the U.S. is citing the discharge of refined petroleum products.

Treasury highlights that the Houthis control the Red Sea ports of Hudaydah, Ras Isa, and Al-Salif, and assets the group is funneling millions of dollars derived from port revenue and the seizure of refined petroleum products imported through these ports to fund the attack campaign against U.S. interests and those of our allies in the region. Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender says the group sells refined petroleum products delivered through these ports at exorbitant prices on Yemen’s black market, which enables Houthi operatives to purchase military materials, creates an artificial shortage of essential goods for average Yemenis, and fuels rampant corruption among Houthi leaders.

One of the product tankers that was listed is the San Marino-flagged Tulip BZ (25,926 dwt) which was built in 1993 and is now owned by interests in Lebanon. The U.S. says the vessel finished discharging its cargo in Ras Isa on April 10 and that in the past it has been used to transport petroleum products for Iran. Previously as the Gas Line (operating between 2012 and 2021), the U.S. says the vessel transported products for the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The Marshall Islands-registered Zaas Shipping & Trading Co, which facilitated the delivery of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to Ras Isa is also being listed.

The second vessel, the product tanker Maisan (73,741 dwt), registered in Panama, completed offloading gas oil in Ras Isa on April 8. The vessel, built in 2005, is managed by the Mauritius-registered Bagsak Shipping and according to the U.S. has also been linked since February 2023 with the export of Russian crude oil and petroleum products. The U.S. says the Maisan was previously managed by a company that was one of the top players in the shadow tanker fleet involved in the export of Russian crude oil and petroleum products defying Western sanctions.

The White Whale (37,263 dwt) was built in 2001 and is also linked to ownership interests in Lebanon. The U.S. reports the vessel finished offloading gas oil in Ras Isa on April 17. It is managed by the Marshall Islands-registered Great Success Shipping Company.

Treasury is also reporting that two other previously sanctioned vessels are still delivering products to the Houthis. It identified an LPG tanker now named Clipper (29,458 dwt) for a recent shipment of Butane and propane to Yemen. The ship is now showing a false flag of Guyana according to the Equasis database and unknown management. The U.S. says in December 2022 the vessel then known as Queen Luca was listed for its ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.

The Akoya Gas, an LPG tanker built in 1997, registered in Tanzania in mid-April was at a berth in Yemen. The U.S. says it was blocked in September 2022 when it was operating as Gas Allure for its involvement in Iranian petrochemical and petroleum sales.

U.S. Central Command announced on April 17 that it had attacked the Houthi-operated fuel port at Ras Isa. The port handled fuel imports critical for the Houthis' military operations while commercial operations also made it a major source of tax revenue for the Houthis. CENTCOM reported yesterday, April 27, that since the bombing operation began on March 15, U.S. forces have carried out more than 800 strikes on Houthi targets greatly degrading their capabilities.