Targeting the Houthis’ Illicit Trade and Shipping Facilitators

Yesterday, the United States designated 11 individuals and 21 entities and identified four vessels as blocked property for involvement in the Iran-backed Houthis’ global illicit fundraising, smuggling, and weapons procurement operations. These include key Houthi operatives and affiliated companies involved in the group’s fraudulent asset seizures and Houthi-associated actors located across Yemen, China, the UAE, and the Marshall Islands.

The United States will continue to use the tools at our disposal to eliminate the threats posed by the Houthis. By targeting the illicit front companies and facilitators that sustain the Houthis, we are depriving the Houthis of resources they need to carry out their reckless and destabilizing actions.

Yesterday’s action was taken pursuant to the counterterrorism authority Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, and builds on OFAC’s actions from June 17, 2024, July 31, 2024, October 2, 2024, December 19, 2024, March 5, 2025, April 2, 2025, April 28, 2025, June 20, 2025, and July 22, 2025 targeting Houthi leaders, smugglers, financiers, procurement operatives, and suppliers.  This action is also consistent with Treasury’s implementation of  National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2), directing a campaign of maximum economic pressure on Iran, as well as its terrorist proxy the Houthis.  The U.S. Department of State designated Ansarallah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, effective February 16, 2024, and subsequently designated the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on March 5, 2025.  For more information, please refer to Treasury’s press releases.