U.S. sanctions Houthi leaders over attacks on commercial shipping

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against four high-ranking leaders of the Houthi militant group in Yemen, alleging that they lent support to the militia's recent attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The sanctions were imposed together with Britain, according to a press release by the Department of the Treasury.

Those targeted by the sanctions, the release said, were the Houthi "minister of defense," "commander" of the Houthi maritime forces, the Houthi "coastal defense forces chief," and the "director of procurement" for the Houthi forces.

The Houthis' attacks "on merchant vessels and their civilian crews lawfully transitting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden threaten to disrupt international supply chains and the freedom of navigation, which is critical to global security, stability, and prosperity," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson.

On Jan. 17, the United States re-designated the Houthis as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist," reversing the Joe Biden administration's move at the outset of its term in February 2021 to revoke the designation in view of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen at the time.

The United States has since Jan. 12 launched multiple strikes against targets in Houthi-controlled areas Yemen, with Britain directly participating in some of them and other allies providing support.