Starting next April, Washington will ban the import of petroleum products through ports under Houthi control.

The United States has imposed a ban on the import of petroleum products through the Houthi-controlled ports of Hodeidah in western Yemen, effective April 4, 2025. This follows the designation of the Houthi militia as a foreign terrorist organization and the imposition of sanctions on its senior leaders.

According to a document issued by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control ( OFAC ) - seen by Yemen Youth Net - previous permits that allowed the unloading of refined petroleum products in Yemen, which were shipped before March 5, will expire at midnight on April 4, 2025.

The resolution includes a ban on commercial resale or export of petroleum derivatives from Yemen, as well as a ban on financial transfers to entities on the sanctions lists, with the exception of payments related to taxes, fees, and public services. It also prohibits any other transactions prohibited under the GTSR and FTOSR laws unless exceptionally and separately authorized.

The decision indicated that this permit replaces the previous permit No. 25 issued on January 17, 2024, and will enter into force as of March 5, 2025.

This measure comes as part of the tightening of US sanctions on the Houthis following their designation as a terrorist organization and the inclusion of seven of their leaders on the sanctions list, a move aimed at limiting the group's sources of funding.