US sanctions individuals, entities involved in weapons procurement for Houthis

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US announced new sanctions Monday directed against individuals and entities involved with a weapons procurement network for Yemen’s Houthi group.

"Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating two individuals and five entities that have facilitated weapons procurement for Ansar Allah, commonly referred to as the Houthis," the Treasury Department said in a statement.

OFAC also designated one individual and one company, as well as identifying one vessel, that have facilitated the shipment of commodities, “the sale of which provides an important funding stream to the Houthis that aids in their weapons procurement.”

Stressing that the action targets key actors who have enabled the Houthis to generate revenue and acquire a range of materials to manufacture advanced weaponry, it said that since November 2023, the Houthis have deployed a range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ballistic missiles and cruise missiles to attack merchant vessels and their crews in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

"The Houthis’ continued, indiscriminate and reckless attacks against unarmed commercial vessels are made possible by their access to key components necessary for the production of their missiles and UAVs," Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson was quoted as saying in the statement.

“The United States remains resolved to use the full range of our tools to halt the flow of military-grade materials and funds from commodities sales that enable these destabilizing terrorist activities," Nelson added.

The Houthis have been targeting Israeli-linked cargo ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7 last year.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

Earlier this year, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a multinational mission, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to counter Houthi attacks.