🇺🇸 The United States has intensified its fight against the illicit oil trade linked to the Yemeni Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) and has reached a new level of pressure. For the first time, sanctions in this campaign are targeting not only companies and vessels, but also specific captains.
💼 The US Treasury Department, through OFAC, has designated individuals, shipping companies, and one tanker that, according to US authorities, were involved in the supply of petroleum products to Houthi-controlled ports. The proceeds are allegedly used to finance attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
👤⚠️ A key element of the new package is the personal liability of captains who continued to call at Houthi-controlled ports after the end of the authorized transition period. The US emphasizes that this is not a formal flight execution, but rather a matter of informed decisions made on board.
🔒 What do the personal sanctions mean:
— asset freezes in US jurisdictions,
— blocking of banking and payment transactions,
— severe restrictions on professional activity.
🔥 This step is directly related to the increase in attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The US considers oil revenues to be a key source of funding for these attacks and intends to clamp down on these channels as harshly as possible.