The US Department of the Treasury announced new sanctions on Monday, directed against individuals and entities involved with the Houthis weapons procurement network, National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said during a news conference at the White House.
“We’re going to continue to target this network to degrade the Houthis’s ability to replenish its munitions, and we will continue to target threats to international commerce when necessary,” Kirby said, such as Sunday night when US forces struck a UAV which posed direct threats to ships in the area.
While Kirby said that Houthi attacks no longer grabbed headlines like they used to, they’re still having an impact, and the Biden administration wants to have an impact on the group's capabilities.
“Their actions are truly reckless beyond the pale. They talk a mighty good game, but their actions speak a hell of a lot louder,” Kirby said. “They don’t care a whit about Palestinians in Gaza. This isn’t some principled stand they’re taking, it’s terrorism – as I said. Pure and simple. And it has to stop.”
Targeting ships unaffiliated with Gaza war
Within the past few days, Kirby added, Houthi forces attacked a Greek-owned-and-operated bulk cargo carrier merchant vessel bearing a Liberian flag, killing a Filipino crew member, as well as wounding a Sri Lankan crew member on a Polish-operated vessel.
“That, too, has nothing whatsoever to do with the conflict in Gaza,” Kirby stated. “They weren’t delivering arms to Israel, they weren’t taking sides in the Middle East. They were just manning their posts aboard a ship, trying to earn their paycheck and keep global commerce moving.”According to a statement from the US State Department, Monday’s sanctions included three individuals and six entities who facilitated weapons procurement for the Houthis and one vessel owned by one of these entities as being blocked property.“The Houthis’ attacks against unarmed commercial vessels continue to inhibit navigation in a vital waterway,” the department warned. “The United States is committed to using the tools at our disposal to hinder the flow of military-grade materials into Yemen that enable the Houthis to conduct these terrorist attacks.”