The US State Department is warning countries against cooperating with the Houthis amidst reports of illicit transactions between the Houthis and third parties.
In a recent statement by State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, the State Department alluded to potential consequences for any countries cooperating with the Houthis by claiming such actions “risk violating US law.”
The statement comes as the US military, at the command of President Donald Trump, rains fire on the Houthis’ strategic military positions in Yemen.
The US has been striking Houthi targets daily, with the latest strikes reportedly occurring earlier this week.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed Yemeni terror group, have been targeting US, Israeli, and allies’ ships since Hamas’ October 7th, 2023 attacks.
Houthi forces have orchestrated drone and missile attacks against US military and commercial ships and increasingly directly attacked Israel’s civilian population.
During former President Joe Biden’s administration, it is estimated the Houthis attacked US military and commercial ships over 300 times.
President Trump vowed to pursue a “maximum pressure campaign” against Iran, the Houthis, and other associated terror groups.
In recent months, the US has attempted to corner the Houthis with financial and military pressure.
Earlier in April, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Houthi entities purchasing weapons and commodities, such as stolen Ukrainian gran, from Russia
The State Department’s latest announcement suggests the US government could be considering applying that same pressure to countries helping the Houthis’ withstand the US’ actions.
Specifically, the US warned against partaking in international trade and oil transfers in areas under the Houthis’ jurisdiction.
“The United States will not tolerate any country or commercial entity providing support to foreign terrorist organizations, such as the Houthis, including offloading ships and provisioning oil at Houthi-controlled ports,” continued Spokesperson Bruce.
