The US Treasury recently expanded sanctions against the Houthis, an Iran-backed militia wreaking havoc across the Middle East.
The new sanctions build on a series of sanctions previously imposed by the US to winnow the Houthis’ cash reserves and limit access to foreign markets.
The US Treasury claimed the latest sanctions target the Houthis’ illicit oil trafficking network, which the Houthis allegedly harness to earn hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
The Houthis use such revenue, explained the Treasury, to finance their terrorist and autocratic activities in Yemen and across the Middle East.
“The Houthis collaborate with opportunistic businessmen to reap enormous profits from the importation of petroleum products and to enable the group’s access to the international financial system,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.
While the Houthis have existed since the 1990s, they have recently attained international infamy thanks to their continued attacks against Israeli civilians and commercial ships traversing the Red Sea.
Most recently, the Houthis began targeting US, Israeli, and allies’ ships after Hamas’s October 7th, 2023, attacks.
Houthi forces eventually ceased attacking US assets, however, after President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire agreement with them.
Despite honoring their agreement with the US, the Houthis have continued to attack Israel.
Such attacks were generally ignored by the US until recently.
Early in July, the Houthis prompted rebuke from the international community and the US after consecutively sinking two commercial ships,
Some US officials have warned the Houthis against continuing their aggression lest they face a US military retaliation.
“We thought we were done with missiles coming to Israel, but Houthis just lit one up over us in Israel,” said US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
“Maybe those B2 bombers need to visit Yemen,” continued Ambassador Huckabee, referring to the American planes that bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities in late June.
Backdropping such comments are US military assets positioned to strike the Houthis.
In the last few days, fleet trackers spotted the Ford Carrier Strike Group (CSG) sailing in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Ford CSG joins the Nimitz CSG as the second CSG that could support military operations against the Houthis.
The last time two CSGs were together in the area, the US used them to pummel Houthi terrorist locations in Yemen.
