The US Treasury issues a general license authorizing certain transactions in the telecommunications sector in Yemen.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued a general license authorizing certain telecommunications, mail, and online services transactions in Yemen, despite sanctions imposed on the Houthis under the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations ( GTSR ) and the Foreign Terrorist Organizations Sanctions Regulations ( FTOSR ).

Under the new license, numbered 23A , communications transactions within Yemen will be permitted, including instant messaging, email, social media, and domain name registration, provided that the beneficiaries of these services are not on the lists of individuals or entities whose assets have been frozen under US sanctions.

The license, which came into effect on March 5, also prohibits "the sale or lease of telecommunications equipment and technology, the sale or lease of telecommunications network capabilities, such as satellites and infrastructure, and any financial transactions or dealings with individuals or entities prohibited under US sanctions."

What does the license allow?

Operations related to receiving or sending telecommunications services in Yemen, including postal and digital services.

Exchange communications over the Internet, such as:

• Instant messaging and email
• social media
• Blogs, photo and movie sharing
• Online collaboration services, video meetings, and VoIP calls
• E-learning platforms and machine translation

What does the license not allow?

• Sale or rental of communications equipment and technology.
• Selling or leasing communications network capabilities, such as satellites and infrastructure.
• Any financial transactions or dealings with individuals or entities prohibited by US sanctions, unless separately authorized.

According to the US document, this license does not completely lift the sanctions, but rather allows certain exceptions aimed at facilitating the flow of information and communication within Yemen, while ensuring that banned entities do not benefit from them.

📢 The US Treasury issues a new general license for telecommunications in Yemen 📢

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License No. 23A, which authorizes certain transactions related to telecommunications, mail, and certain online electronic services in Yemen, despite... pic.twitter.com/zOSyIF91Oe

— Abdulrahman Anis (@abdulrahmananis) March 13, 2025