America imposes more sanctions on the Houthis in Yemen amid escalation with Israel Houthi news

Washington DC – The United States imposed new targeted sanctions The Houthis While the Yemeni group continues to exchange attacks with Israel amid the war on Gaza.

On Thursday, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions on Hashem al-Madani, governor of the Central Bank in Houthi-controlled Sanaa, and a number of Houthi officials and companies associated with them, accusing them of helping the group obtain “weapon and dual-use components.” “.

The US Treasury Department described Al-Madani as “the main supervisor of funds sent by the Houthis.” Holy power Of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Yemen has two competing central banks, one in the capital, Sanaa, which is controlled by the Houthis and serves areas of the country controlled by the rebel group, and the other in Aden serves areas of the country controlled by the internationally recognized government and other anti-Houthi groups.

Treasury official Bradley Smith said the sanctions were intended to disrupt Houthi efforts to “secure additional revenues.”

“The United States will continue to expose these schemes and hold accountable those who seek to enable the Houthis’ destabilizing activities,” Smith said in a statement.

Thursday’s actions indicate that Washington will continue to intensify economic pressure on the Houthis as the US and Israeli militaries target areas militarily controlled by the group in Yemen.

The sanctions freeze the assets of companies and individuals in the United States and make it largely illegal for Americans to engage in financial transactions with them.

The US sanctions came hours after Israel bombed targets in Yemen, including… Power stations near Sanaa, killing at least nine people.

The Israeli bombing came after the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, launched a missile towards Tel Aviv.

The Yemeni group is targeting Israel with drones and missiles in an attempt to pressure the US ally to end its war in Gaza, where the US-backed Israeli army has killed more than 45,000 people.

The Iran-allied Houthis were as well Carrying out attacks On shipping lines in and around the Red Sea as part of the same campaign they say supports the Palestinians.

For months, the US and UK have been bombing Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the Red Sea attacks.

Washington Also included The Houthis were designated as “specially designated global terrorists,” a move aimed at strangling the group’s financial resources.

But the military campaigns and sanctions did not deter the military operations carried out by the Yemeni group.

The leader of the Ansar Allah group, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, said on Thursday that “Israeli aggression” will not change the Houthis’ position in support of the Palestinians.

He said in televised statements: “We are up to the challenge and continue to escalate.” “We do not care about what the enemies do. We are at war and in open confrontation with them.”

Later in the day, the Houthis claimed responsibility for another drone attack against Israel, saying they were prepared for a “long war with this enemy.”

Palestinian groups praised the Houthis for their military campaign. Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Hamas-affiliated Al-Qassam Brigades, expressed his support for the Yemeni group on Thursday after what he called the “terrorist” Israeli attacks.

He said in a statement, “We commend the strong position of our brothers in Yemen in support of Gaza and call on them to escalate their attacks until the (Israeli) occupation submits and ends the genocide.”

United Nations experts and Rights groups They accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, an attempt to physically destroy the Palestinian people. A report issued by the Watson Institute at Brown University concluded that the United States provided Israel with military aid worth $17.9 billion during the first year of the war.

The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, said that the “brave” Houthi missile attack that targeted Tel Aviv constitutes an example in showing that “the Palestinians are not alone.”

After the Lebanese Hezbollah arrived Fragile ceasefire With Israel last month, the Houthis became one of Iran’s last allies to directly confront Israel.

On Thursday, the Lebanese group condemned the Israeli bombing of “civilian infrastructure” in Yemen.

Hezbollah said in a statement: “We call on all free people and resistance forces to show solidarity in the face of this ongoing aggression against our people.”

US Secretary of State, Wednesday Anthony Blinken He said the Houthis should rethink their military campaigns after the setbacks suffered by the Iran-allied axis in recent months, including the damage Israel inflicted on Hezbollah.

“Are they going to be there alone?” Blinken said about the Houthis. “And some of what we’re seeing now suggests they may be looking to move in a different direction.”

Hours after the chief American diplomat delivered his statements, the Yemeni group launched two ballistic missiles towards Tel Aviv.