The United States imposed sanctions today on seven senior members of Ansarallah, widely known as the Houthis, for their roles in smuggling weapons into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and brokering arms deals with foreign suppliers.
The move, announced by Department of State Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, also targets a Houthi operative and his company for recruiting Yemeni civilians to fight for Russia in Ukraine, a scheme that has generated funds to fuel Houthi militant activities. This action comes on the heels of the State Department’s designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on March 4, marking a significant escalation in U.S. efforts to curb the group’s destabilizing influence.
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“The United States is committed to holding the Houthis accountable for acquiring weapons and weapons components from suppliers in Russia, China, and Iran to threaten Red Sea security,” Bruce said in a press statement. She emphasized that the U.S. will leverage “all available tools” to counter Houthi violence and collaborate with Yemen’s internationally recognized government to dismantle the group’s capabilities.
The sanctions, enacted under the counterterrorism authority of Executive Order 13224 (as amended), target key figures orchestrating the Houthis’ weapons procurement networks. These networks have enabled the group to amass an arsenal of drones, ballistic missiles, and other advanced weaponry, which have been used to attack commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023. The Houthis, backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have launched over 100 such assaults, sinking two vessels, seizing another, and killing at least four civilian sailors—actions they claim are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In a surprising twist, the U.S. also singled out a Houthi operative and his associated company for exploiting Yemen’s dire humanitarian crisis by recruiting civilians to serve as mercenaries in Russia’s war against Ukraine. The revenue from this operation has been funneled back to Houthi militants, further entrenching their grip on Yemen’s northwest and exacerbating regional tensions.
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Today’s measures build on prior Treasury Department sanctions, including actions in July and October 2024 that targeted Houthi procurement operatives and suppliers in China, Iran, and Hong Kong. The State Department’s FTO designation, effective immediately following yesterday’s announcement, imposes severe economic penalties and restricts material support to the group, reflecting a broader Trump administration strategy to confront Iran’s proxy networks.
Bruce underscored the U.S. commitment to regional stability, stating, “We will work tirelessly with our partners to eliminate Houthi capabilities that threaten both Yemen and the broader Middle East.” The sanctions freeze any U.S.-based assets of the designated individuals and prohibit American entities from engaging with them, aiming to disrupt the financial lifelines sustaining Houthi aggression.
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The announcement has sparked mixed reactions. Proponents argue it’s a long-overdue step to curb Houthi terrorism, while critics warn of potential humanitarian fallout in Yemen, where 19 million people rely on aid amid a decade-long civil war. The Biden administration had previously lifted a similar FTO designation in 2021, citing concerns over aid delivery, but the Houthis’ relentless attacks on shipping and U.S. forces prompted a policy reversal under President Trump.
As the Red Sea remains a critical chokepoint for global trade, the U.S. actions signal a renewed push to deter Houthi violence—though their effectiveness against a defiant, battle-hardened group remains uncertain.
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