Shafaq News– Washington
The US sanctioned 21 entities and individuals over their involvement in providing financial and logistical support to a network linked to Yemen’s Ansarallah group (Houthis), the Treasury Department announced on Friday.
In a statement, the Treasury said the move target front companies, facilitators, and operatives located in Yemen, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) “that are part of the Houthis’ vast revenue generation and smuggling networks, which enable the group to sustain its capability to conduct destabilizing regional activities and unprovoked attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.”
The sanctions include oil companies, logistics firms, and exchange houses, as well as individuals involved in arms smuggling, financing military procurement, and transferring missiles and military equipment to Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. According to the statement, the measures also apply to any entities owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, by one or more sanctioned persons holding a 50 percent or greater stake.
It warned that any financial or commercial dealings with the designated persons or entities could expose individuals and institutions to civil or criminal penalties, including secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions. The Treasury said the Houthis group continues to generate significant revenue from illicit oil sales exceeding $2 billion annually, with support from Iranian or Iran-linked companies. Some of these firms are reportedly based in the United Arab Emirates and play a role in facilitating shipping, financing, and sanctions evasion.
Last September, the Houthi movement announced measures against several American companies, placing 13 US firms, nine individuals, and two vessels on a sanctions list. The move followed steps described by President Donald Trump as the largest US action of its kind against the Iran-aligned group in Yemen.
In 2025, tensions between Washington and the Houthis escalated sharply in the Red Sea following a sustained campaign of Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting commercial shipping linked to Israel or transiting toward Israeli ports. The United States responded by reinforcing its naval presence, carrying out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, and expanding sanctions against financial and logistics networks tied to the group.
Read more: Red Sea Conflict: Yemen strikes raise fears in Iraq