On Wednesday Aug. 31, Saudi Arabia issued sanctions against five individuals for supporting the Iran-backed Houthi movement, according to a report published by the Saudi Press Agency.
The Saudi Press Agency’s report named Mansour Ahmed al-Saadi, Ahmed Ali al-Hamzi, Mohammad Abdulkarim al-Ghamari, Zakaria Abdullah Yahya Hajar and Ahmed Mohamed Ali al-Johary as individuals associated with the Houthi’s ballistic missiles or drone program.
The report charged that al-Saadi was involved in smuggling Iranian weapons to Yemen and was the “mastermind” behind maritime attacks in the Red Sea.
Furthermore, the report said al-Saadi, al-Hamzi, Ghamari and Hajar received military training in Iran.
Wednesday’s designations follow a series of international sanctions this year targeting individuals connected to the Houthi’s illicit weapons and financial network.
In coordination with Gulf states, Treasury designated a Houthi finance network in late Feb. The designations targeted several individuals including various international companies and exchange houses.
Additionally, in late June, Saudi Arabia added 19 Yemenis to its list of designated terrorists after identifying them as supporting the Houthis and other terrorist organizations in the region.
Despite Wednesday’s sanctions on individuals supporting the Houthi’s military program, a ceasefire that began on Ramadan in early April continues to hold and was recently extended in early August.
