The United States has imposed sanctions on ship captains and vessels involved in unauthorized fuel deliveries to Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen, tightening enforcement against maritime operations that violate terrorism-related restrictions
According to the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the measures target captains of several vessels and one shipping company that continued delivering petroleum products after a humanitarian license expired in April 2025. The Houthis have been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization since March 2025.
OFAC said Albarraq Shipping Co facilitated fuel deliveries to the port of Ras Isa using the vessel ALBARRAQ Z, which discharged oil products in July 2025 after authorization had lapsed.
In addition, US authorities sanctioned the captains of four previously designated vessels that delivered fuel to Houthi-controlled ports earlier in 2025. The vessels involved were Sarah, Atlantis MZ, Akoya Gasand and Valente. These ships discharged liquefied petroleum gas or gasoline at Ras Isa between April and June 2025.
The Treasury said the vessels and their masters provided material and economic support to the Houthis by continuing commercial operations at sanctioned ports, in clear violation of US restrictions.
US officials stressed that enforcement now extends beyond shipowners and operators to include individual masters responsible for sanction-breaching voyages, warning that unauthorized calls at restricted ports may result in personal sanctions, asset freezes, and long-term operational consequences.
