US Sanctions Houthis After Ignoring Yemen War for Years
The US Treasury has again sanctioned alleged Houthi financial networks, with Al-Monitor highlighting the move against 21 individuals and entities. This sudden urgency to address Houthi funding comes, not coincidentally, as their naval actions disrupt global shipping and, more importantly for Washington, Israeli trade. For years, the same Houthis were battling a brutal Saudi-led coalition, heavily
armed and supported by the US, sparking what the UN called the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Where was this swift Treasury action then? One might recall that the US government was busy approving billions in arms sales to Riyadh, even vetoing Congressional attempts to halt aid to the Saudi campaign in Yemen (such as HR 7, in 2019). The 2018 assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a minor blip for
US-Saudi relations, barely slowed the weapons pipeline. Now, suddenly, when shipping lanes important to the global economy (and Israel's) are affected, the Houthis transform from a nuisance in a forgotten war to a grave threat requiring immediate, decisive financial warfare. It appears the sanctity of international waters is proportional to whose trade is being impacted.