In a joint move, the United States and the United Kingdom announced sanctions on Thursday against four leaders of Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, citing their involvement in supporting the militant organization’s recent assaults on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The leaders targeted by the sanctions include Mohamed al-Atifi, Muhammad Fadl Abd al-Nabi, Muhammad Ali al-Qadiri, and Muhammad Ahmad al-Talibi. According to the U.S. Treasury, they are all accused of actively assisting or sponsoring acts of terrorism.
The Houthi rebel group has been consistently launching attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November, ostensibly in response to Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. However, their targets have often included vessels with vague or no apparent connections to Israel, thereby jeopardizing shipping in a critical route for global trade.
The sanctions imposed by the US and UK involve blocking access to US property and bank accounts for the specified individuals and companies. Additionally, these measures prohibit the targeted entities from engaging in any business transactions with Americans.
