Economic restrictions imposed on deliveries of oil and gas to the Houthi rebels in Yemen by the United States
Let's Get Straight to the Point
America slapped sanctions on three ships and their owners this Monday, accused of delivering oil and gas products to Yemen's Houthi rebels. These vessels, registered in San Marino, Panama, and Mauritius, were secretly supplying the rebel-controlled port of Ras Isa, as revealed by the U.S. Treasury Department.
"Enough is enough! We're taking action to disrupt the Houthis' attempts to earn funds for their destructive attacks in the region," said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.
The sanctions came a day after Houthi-linked media reported a U.S. airstrike killed 68 people at an African migrant detention center in Yemen.
Previously, in March, the U.S. labeled the Houthis as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization," claiming they threaten US citizens, regional partners, and global maritime trade.
These Houthi attacks on ships have caused havoc in global commerce and sparked fear of inflation, exacerbating concerns about the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Houthis have controlled Yemen's most populated regions, including Sanaa, since ousting the government in 2014. The US vows to crack down on the Houthis' illicit revenue generation, financial networks, and suppliers, to maintain freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
Sources suggest that the group earns money by selling imported petroleum products at exorbitant prices on Yemen's black market, funding military operations and widening the gap for civilians suffering from lack of supplies. They control key Red Sea ports like Hudaydah, Ras Isa, and Al-Salif, using port revenues and captured goods to finance assaults on commercial shipping and regional stability.
These sanctions are part of the US's comprehensive strategy to disrupt the Houthis' supply chain linked to Iranian sanctions evasion. While some reports mention action against 20 entities, the latest enforcement specifically focuses on the three named tankers.
- In retaliation to the illicit trade of oil and gas products to Yemen's Houthis, America has imposed sanctions on three ships and their owners, registered in San Marino, Panama, and Mauritius.
- The Houthis, a group controlling Yemen's most populated regions since 2014, have been accused of using their earnings from selling imported petroleum products at exorbitant prices on Yemen's black market to fund military operations.
- The U.S., aiming to maintain freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, plans to crack down on the Houthis' illicit revenue generation, financial networks, and suppliers.
- Recent Houthi attacks on ships have caused havoc in global commerce, sparking fears of inflation and exacerbating concerns about the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
- Amidst the ongoing war-and-conflicts, politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice sectors are closely monitoring the developments in Yemen, as the U.S.'s new sanctions on the Houthis and their allies highlight the complications in achieving regional stability.
