Houthi - PRC - Oman Weapons Axis Targeted

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating two individuals and five entities that have facilitated weapons procurement for Ansarallah, commonly referred to as the Houthis. OFAC is also designating one individual and one company, as well as identifying one vessel, that have facilitated the shipment of commodities, the sale of which provides an important funding stream to the Houthis that aids in their weapons procurement.

The action targets key actors who have enabled the Houthis to generate revenue and acquire a range of materials to manufacture the advanced weaponry they are now using to target commercial ships. Since November 2023, the Houthis have deployed a range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles to attack merchant vessels and their crews in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, killing innocent civilians, causing severe damage to commercial ships, and threatening global freedom of navigation.

China Connection

Ali Abd-al-Wahhab Muhammad al-Wazir (al-Wazir) is a PRC-based Houthi-affiliated individual who plays a key role in procuring materials that enable Houthi forces to manufacture advanced conventional weapons inside Yemen. He uses his PRC-based company, Guangzhou Tasneem Trading Company Limited (Guangzhou Tasneem), to obtain these items and ship them to Yemen. Guangzhou Tasneem is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Tasneem Trading Company Limited.

The Houthis have sourced critical components for their forces from PRC-based companies. The Houthis have coordinated with PRC-based firm Ningbo Beilun Saige Machine Co., Ltd. to procure materials critical for manufacturing UAVs and other weapons.

Similarly, Houthi-affiliated individuals have coordinated with Dongguan Yuze Machining Tools Company Limited to source tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment for their domestic weapons production efforts.

An Omani trading firm and a Camaroon-flagged shipping verssel were included in the June 17 action.

Click here for more information on the individuals and entities designated and vessel identified today.