US, UK to sanction Houthis as they vow to continue ship attacks

The US and UK are set to sanction senior Houthi militants as the Iran-backed group continues its attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea, people familiar with the matter said.

At least four senior Houthi figures will be subject to asset freezes and travel bans, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing a plan that hasn’t been announced yet. They include the head of the Houthis’ naval forces and the group’s defense minister.

Yemen’s Houthis have roiled global shipping markets and supply chains with their attacks since mid-November. They have fired missiles and drones at ships, as well as tried to hijack several of them.

Freight costs have soared. Major shipping firms are avoiding the southern Red Sea and instead sending vessels traveling between Europe and Asia via a much longer route around southern Africa.

The Houthis have been undeterred despite repeated warnings from the US and several rounds of airstrikes on their positions by the American and British militaries in the past fortnight. On Thursday, they again said they would continue their campaign, which they claim is in support of Hamas in its war against Israel in Gaza.

The attacks won’t end until “food and medicine arrive for the citizens of Gaza and Israeli crimes stop,” Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, the Houthis’ leader, said in a televised speech. The US and UK will pay for their strikes on Yemen, he said.

The sanctions were set to be announced as early as Thursday. White House spokespeople declined to comment.