The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Iran's envoy to the Houthi militias in Yemen, stepping up pressure as President Donald Trump considers a designation of the militants as terrorists.
The Treasury Department designated under counterterrorism laws Hasan Irlu, described by Iran as its ambassador to Yemen.
"Iran's support for the Houthis fuels the conflict in Yemen and exacerbates the country's instability," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
Through Irlu's presence in Yemen, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force "is signaling its intent to increase support to the Houthis and further complicate international efforts to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict," Pompeo said.
US officials say Iran has provided military support to the Houthis, with which it shares religious ties.
The Trump administration has already designated the Quds Force as a terrorist organization and in January killed its commander, Qassem Soleimani, as he visited Iraq.
The administration separately on Tuesday slapped sanctions on Al-Mustafa International University, an Iranian-based institution with affiliates around the world.
The Treasury Department said the university, which has close links with Iran's clerical leadership, had been active in recruiting Pakistanis and Afghans to fight in Syria on behalf of president Bashar al-Assad.
The sanctions freeze any US assets of their targets and criminalize transactions, effectively cutting them off from much of the international banking system.
