The U.S. imposed sanctions Thursday on "members of a smuggling network" that generate millions of dollars for the Iranian-affiliated Houthi movement in Yemen.
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned individuals from Yemen, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Somalia and India. Also sanctioned were entities in Dubai, Istanbul and the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital of Sanaa.
"This network generates tens of millions of dollars in revenue from the sale of commodities, like Iranian petroleum, a significant portion of which is then directed through a complex network of intermediaries and exchange houses in multiple countries to the Houthis," the Treasury Department said in a statement.
The agency also said the sanctions freeze any U.S. assets the individuals and entities hold and generally prohibit Americans from conducting business with them.
"The United States will maintain pressure on Houthis to accept a ceasefire and engage in real talks to resolve the Yemen conflict," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.
The conflict in Yemen began in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and other cities in the country's north. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to support the internationally recognized government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi.
