US sanctions alleged financiers for Houthis

The US on Wednesday said it is sanctioning "financial facilitators, procurement operatives, and companies operating as part of a global illicit finance network" supporting the Houthis.

"In coordination with Iran-backed Houthi financier, Sa’id al-Jamal, the network of actors designated today has procured millions of dollars of commodities from Russia, including weapons, dual-use materials, and stolen Ukrainian grain, for shipment to Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement. 

"Those designated today include two Russia-based Afghan brothers who assisted Sa’id al-Jamal in orchestrating shipments of stolen Ukrainian grain from Crimea to Yemen," she added.

The Trump administration "also identified eight digital asset wallets used by the Houthis to transfer funds associated with the group’s activities", she said.