US imposes sanctions on two Houthi commanders‏

The United States imposed sanctions Tuesday on two senior leaders of the Iranian-backed Houthi militant group in Yemen.

“Mansur Al-Sa’adi and Ahmad ‘Ali Ahsan al-Hamzi are responsible for orchestrating attacks by Houthi forces impacting Yemeni civilians, bordering nations, and commercial vessels in international waters,” the U.S. Treasury Department said in a press release.

“These actions, which were done to advance the Iranian regime’s destabilizing agenda, have fueled the Yemeni conflict, displacing more than 1 million people and pushing Yemen to the brink of famine,” the statement added.

The Treasury Department said Al-Sa’adi, who received training in Iran, serves as the Houthi Naval Forces’ chief of staff, which masterminded “lethal attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea.”

It also accused the Houthi naval forces of laying naval mines, which can pose a threat to commercial fishing and civilian shipping. Al-Sa’adi is also accused of smuggling Iranian weapons into Yemen.

Ahmad ‘Ali Ahsan al-Hamzi, is the head of the Houthi-aligned Yemeni Air Force and Air Defense Forces. In addition to unmanned aerial vehicles, he reportedly acquired Iranian weapons that have been used in the Yemeni war. He also allegedly received training in Iran.

U.S. officials said Iran’s support for the rebel groups has also destabilized the broader region.

“The Houthis use Iranian weapons, intelligence, training, and support to conduct attacks threatening civilian targets and infrastructure in Yemen and Saudi Arabia,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Tuesday.

He added that the U.S. remains committed “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.”