Sanaa (South24)

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on Thursday that it had imposed sanctions on an individual and three companies involved in facilitating arms procurement and smuggling operations for the Yemeni "Ansar Allah" rebels, commonly known as the Houthis.

The Treasure Department’s statement said the "action targets key procurement operatives and suppliers located in Iran and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that have enabled the Houthis to acquire dual-use materials and components needed to manufacture, maintain, and deploy an arsenal of advanced missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) against US and allied interests."

Additionally, the statement said that OFAC sanctioned one entity and two vessels involved in illicit commercial shipments for the Houthis and Iran, including a vessel that has previously transported shipments for Houthi financial official Sa’id al-Jamal and an affiliate of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff.

The sanctions include the China-based logistics firm Shenzhen Boyu Imports and Exports Co., Limited (Shenzhen Boyu), which facilitated multiple shipments of dual-use components for Houthi weapons production. 

Other Chinese companies, such as Shenzhen Jinghon Electronics Limited (Shenzhen Jinghon) and Shenzhen Rion Technology Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen Rion), have also provided components for the Houthis’ missile and drone manufacturing.

OFAC also targeted Hasan Ahmad Hasan Muhammad al-Kuhlani (Hasan Al-Kuhlani), an Iran-based Houthi operative who facilitated weapons smuggling and coordinated the transportation of Iranian lethal aid to Houthi forces. Two shipping companies, IZUMO and FRUNZE, were also sanctioned for transporting illicit oil shipments to support the Houthis and Iran.

In recent years, the US Treasury has imposed sanctions on individuals and entities connected to the Houthis’ money and weapons networks, as part of ongoing efforts to curb the group’s financial and logistical operations.

On Thursday, the Houthis announced they had launched a drone attack on Tel Aviv, Israel, with several ‘Jaffa’ drones. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed that the drones successfully penetrated Israeli defenses and reached their targets.

The Israeli military confirmed this morning that “a suspicious aerial target was intercepted off the coast of Greater Tel Aviv.”

Yesterday, the Houthis said they had fired three Quds 5 missiles at “sites deep inside Israel.” They claimed to have caused damage on the Israeli side.