The U.S. Treasury imposes sanctions on seven Houthi leaders for involvement in smuggling military materials, weapon systems

[05/03/2025 06:25]

WASHINGTON - SABA
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Wednesday the imposition of sanctions on seven high-ranking leaders of the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist militia.

The sanctions included Mohammad Abdulsalam, Ishaq Abdulmalik al-Marwani, Mahdi al-Mashat, Mohammad Ali Al-Houthi, Ali Mohammad al-Hadi, Abdulmalik al-Ajri, Khaled Hussein Jaber and Abdulwali Hassan al-Jabri for their involvement in smuggling military materials and weapon systems to Houthi-controlled areas.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) stated in a statement that these seven individuals have been engaged in smuggling military materials and weapon systems to areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen.

"By seeking weapons from an increasing number of international suppliers, Houthi leaders have demonstrated their intention to continue their reckless and destabilizing actions in the Red Sea region. The United States will use all available tools to disrupt the Houthi terrorist activities and undermine their ability to threaten American personnel, our regional partners, and global maritime trade," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The statement noted that the sanctions include asset freezes, meaning all properties and interests in properties of the listed individuals and entities located within the United States or under the possession or control of U.S. persons are frozen, and any financial or commercial transactions involving the listed individuals or entities are deemed illegal unless authorized through a general or specific license from OFAC.

The statement also highlighted that the sanctions extend to foreign financial institutions that deal with the listed individuals or entities, which may face restrictions or stringent conditions on their accounts in the United States, along with export and re-export restrictions, as exports or transfers related to the listed individuals are subject to additional constraints managed by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury confirmed that the measures aim to undermine the financial and operational capacity of the Houthis and their associated entities, preventing them from engaging in destabilizing activities.