Seven high-ranking members of the Houthi terrorist group have been sanctioned by the United States, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced Wednesday.
The members that were sanctioned have “smuggled military-grade items and weapon systems into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and also negotiated Houthi weapons procurements from Russia,” the statement said.
On Tuesday, the State Department designated the Houthis as a "foreign terrorist organization" after US President Trump called for the move earlier this year.
“By seeking weapons from a growing array of international suppliers, Houthi leaders have shown their intent to continue their reckless and destabilizing actions in the Red Sea region,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
“The United States will use all available tools to disrupt the Houthis’ terrorist activities and degrade their ability to threaten US personnel, our regional partners, and global maritime trade.”
OFAC also designated one Houthi-affiliated operative and his company that have “recruited Yemeni civilians to fight on behalf of Russia in Ukraine and generated revenue to support the Houthis’ militant operations.”
Houthi operations in the Red Sea
The Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on ships crossing the Red Sea since November 2023, saying the attacks were in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
They have sunk two vessels, seized another, and killed at least four seafarers.
Recently, the group launched surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) at an American fighter jet and MQ-9 Reaper drone this week, but did not hit either.