Secretary of State
Ansarallah, sometimes referred to as the Houthis, plays a significant role in the conflict in Yemen and exacerbates the dire humanitarian plight of the Yemeni people. The war has destabilized the country, displaced four million Yemenis since the beginning of the conflict, and unleashed one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
We strongly condemn the Ansarallah’s continued assault on Marib and their attacks in the region, including a complex attack on February 27, which threatened civilian areas with several UAVS and a missile attack on Riyadh. Again, on March 1 Ansarallah attacked the Saudi city of Jazan and injured five civilians.
Today, the United States is taking action to respond to this behavior. We are designating two Ansarallah leaders pursuant to Executive Order 13611, “Blocking Property of Persons Threatening the Peace, Security, or Stability of Yemen,” Mansur Al-Sa’adi and Ahmad Ali Ahsan al-Hamzi. These senior Ansarallah leaders have used their positions – as Naval Forces Chief of Staff and Commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces, respectively – to procure weapons from Iran and to oversee attacks threatening civilians and maritime infrastructure.
Iran’s involvement in Yemen fans the flames of the conflict, threatening greater escalation, miscalculation, and regional instability. Ansarallah uses Iranian weapons, intelligence, training, and support to conduct attacks threatening civilian targets and infrastructure in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
The United States has made clear our commitment to promoting accountability for Ansarallah’s malign and aggressive actions, which include exacerbating conflict in Yemen, attacking our partners in the region, kidnapping and torturing civilians, preventing humanitarian aid access, repressing the Yemeni people in areas they control, and orchestrating deadly attacks beyond Yemen’s borders.
We will ensure Saudi Arabia and our regional partners have the tools they need to defend themselves, including against threats emanating from Yemen that are carried out with weapons and support from Iran. At the same time, the United States is working diligently at senior levels alongside the United Nations and others to bring an end to this conflict. We urge all parties to work in good faith towards a lasting political solution, the only way to end the conflict, and address the terrible humanitarian crisis faced by the people of Yemen.