The US Treasury Department on Wednesday issued sanctions on seven high-ranking members of Ansarallah, or the Yemeni Houthi group.
"These individuals have smuggled military-grade items and weapon systems into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and also negotiated Houthi weapons procurements from Russia," the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in a statement.
OFAC is also designating a Houthi-affiliated operative and his company that has recruited Yemeni civilians to fight on behalf of Russia in Ukraine and generated revenue to support the Houthis operations.
"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," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
The US will use "all available tools" to disrupt the Houthi's activities and degrade their ability to threaten US personnel, regional partners and global maritime trade, Bessent said.
The Red Sea is a critical global sea route, frequently used for oil and fuel shipments. In recent months, Houthi forces have targeted Israeli-linked cargo ships in the Red Sea and the nearby Gulf of Aden in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli offensive since Oct. 7, 2023.
