OFAC Unveils Largest Sanctions Action Against Houthi Maritime Network

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has launched its largest sanctions action to date targeting Iran-backed Houthi maritime operations, designating 32 individuals and entities and identifying four vessels in a sweeping effort to disrupt the group’s global shipping network.

OFAC describes the action as targeting the full spectrum of Houthi maritime activities – from fundraising and smuggling to weapons procurement and attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

“The Houthis continue to threaten U.S. personnel and assets in the Red Sea, attack our allies in the region, and undermine international maritime security in coordination with the Iranian regime,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley.

The sanctions specifically target shipping facilitators who enable the Houthis to acquire advanced military-grade materials, including ballistic missile, cruise missile, and unmanned aerial vehicle components, which have been used in attacks against U.S. forces, allies, and commercial shipping.

Among the designated entities are several maritime shipping companies that have played critical roles in the Houthis’ operations. United Arab Emirates-based Tyba Ship Management DMCC operates four oil tankers – the Barbados-flagged STAR MM, Antigua and Barbuda-flagged NOBEL M, Panama-flagged BLACK ROCK, and Antigua and Barbuda-flagged SHRIA – which were identified as vessels used to discharge oil at Houthi-controlled ports.

The Treasury also targeted shipping facilitators who transport military-grade components from commercial suppliers to Houthi forces in Yemen. The China-based logistics company Guangzhou Yakai International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd. has facilitated numerous shipments of dual-use components and military-grade materials supporting the Houthis’ weapons development efforts.

Similarly, Guangzhou Nahari Trading Co., Ltd., another China-based Houthi-associated shipping company, has procured dual-use items from Chinese suppliers and concealed them in shipments destined for Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

The sanctions also target Chinese suppliers to the Houthis, including Hubei Chica Industrial Co., Ltd., which has coordinated with Houthi procurement operatives to supply chemical precursors used to manufacture ballistic missiles and other advanced weapon systems. Representatives of this company have assisted the Houthis in falsifying shipping documents to circumvent China’s export controls.

Treasury’s action builds on previous sanctions targeting Houthi leaders, smugglers, financiers, procurement operatives, and suppliers dating back to June 2024. It aligns with National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2), which directs a campaign of maximum economic pressure on Iran and its terrorist proxies, including the Houthis.

The U.S. Department of State designated Ansarallah (the Houthis) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to E.O. 13224 in February 2024 and subsequently as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in March 2025.

These maritime sanctions come amid continued Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, which have resulted in civilian deaths and threaten both the U.S. economy and global commerce. The attacks have significantly disrupted freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors.

The Houthis generate substantial revenue through importing oil and other commodities through ports under their control, overseeing complex smuggling operations, and laundering money on behalf of senior leadership. These illicit activities finance their global weapons supply chain, which relies on the very procurement operatives, front companies, shipping facilitators, and suppliers targeted in this action.

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