Houthis hit major oil companies with sanctions in response to US measures

Yemen’s Houthi movement has announced sanctions targeting major US oil companies, including ExxonMobil and Chevron, according to a statement released on September 30 by a body affiliated with the Iran-backed militia.

According to Arab media, the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Centre (HOCC), based in Sanaa and established last year to coordinate between Houthi forces and commercial shipping operators, said it had sanctioned 13 US companies, nine executives, and two vessels. 

The move comes in retaliation for US sanctions imposed on the Houthis earlier this year, despite a truce agreement reached under the Trump administration, in which the group agreed to halt attacks on US-linked ships in the Red Sea and the wider Gulf of Aden.

“It remains unclear whether these sanctions signal that the Houthis will begin targeting vessels linked to the sanctioned organisations, companies, and individuals — a move that would risk violating the ceasefire agreement with the Trump administration, facilitated by Oman,” noted independent Middle East analyst Mohammed Albasha on LinkedIn.

Since 2023, the Houthis have launched multiple attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they perceive as connected to Israel, framing the strikes as solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s war in Gaza. Despite this, vital oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — which links the Arabian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea — has been largely unaffected, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

The group has occasionally targeted vessels in the Gulf of Aden. This week, a Dutch cargo ship in the area suffered a Houthi-style attack, leaving two crew members injured and the vessel ablaze and adrift, although the Houthis did not claim responsibility.

In 2024, the US imported roughly 500,000 barrels per day of crude and condensate from Gulf countries via the Strait of Hormuz, representing about 7 per cent of total US crude and condensate imports — the lowest level in nearly four decades, due to increased domestic production and higher imports from Canada, the EIA reported.

Analyst Albasha explained the timing of the sanctions, writing that the Houthis are acting on the principle of reciprocity in response to US sanctions, despite Oman’s May 6, 2025, announcement of a de-escalation and ceasefire between the two sides. He added that the Houthi statement emphasised that “the ultimate goal of these sanctions is not punishment for its own sake, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.”

By Tamilla Hasanova