US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 4 March, announced the re-designation of Yemen’s Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The designation allows for tighter sanctions for providing “material support” to the Houthis than the existing Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) label (MEES, 26 January 2024).
The day after the State Department announcement, the US Department of Treasury announced sanctions on seven senior Houthi officials including Muscat-based spokesman Mohammad Abdulsalam. It says the “individuals have smuggled military-grade items and weapons to Houthi-controlled areas” and also “recruited Yemeni civilians to fight on behalf of Russia.” (CONTINUED - 133 WORDS)