UK and US sanction Houthi leadership over Red Sea attacks

London/Washington — Britain and the US on Thursday said they had imposed co-ordinated sanctions on four senior Houthi figures for their roles in supporting or directing attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation. They have also deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilise the Middle East.

Those sanctioned were Houthi defence chief Mohamed Nasser al-Atifi, commander of Houthi naval forces Muhammad Fadl Abd Al-Nabi, coastal defence forces chief Muhammad Ali al-Qadiri and Muhammed Ahmad al-Talibi, who the two governments described as the Houthi forces’ director of procurement.

“With our allies, we will continue to target those responsible for the Houthis’ unacceptable and illegal actions, which risk innocent seafarers’ lives and disrupt aid deliveries to the Yemeni people,” British foreign secretary David Cameron, who is on a visit to the Middle East, said in a statement.

The sanctions aim to disrupt their ability to carry out attacks on Red Sea shipping and promote the peace, stability and security of Yemen, Britain said.

The US treasury said al-Atifi had publicly warned the Houthis would turn the Red Sea into a graveyard in response to any perceived action against Yemen by the US-led naval coalition aimed at helping safeguard commercial traffic.

Al-Talibi is involved in efforts to smuggle Iranian-provided weapons, missiles, drones and other items into Yemen, the US said.

“The Houthis’ persistent terrorist attacks on merchant vessels and their civilian crews ... threaten to disrupt international supply chains and the freedom of navigation, which is critical to global security, stability, and prosperity,” US treasury under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.

“Today’s joint action with the United Kingdom demonstrates our collective action to leverage all authorities to stop these attacks.”

The US action freezes any US-based assets of those targeted and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Britain said they would be subject to asset freezes, arms embargoes and travel bans.

On Monday, US and British forces carried out a new round of strikes in Yemen, targeting a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and surveillance capabilities used by the Iran-aligned group against Red Sea shipping.

Maersk said explosions nearby had forced two ships operated by its US subsidiary and carrying US military supplies to turn around in the sea off Yemen. The US navy escorted the ships away.

“While en route, both ships reported seeing explosions close by and the US Navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles,” Maersk said in a statement, adding it was suspending Red Sea transits by vessels of the US subsidiary.

Reuters