Yemen Monitor / Sana’a / Exclusive:
The Houthi group, allied with Iran, announced on Tuesday its intention to target major American oil companies such as ExxonMobil and Chevron, a dangerous escalation that represents a reneging on a previous “truce” that stipulated not attacking vessels linked to the US sailing in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), based in Sana’a—which serves as a liaison between the Houthis and commercial shipping companies and is closely connected to the group’s military operations—revealed that 13 US companies, nine individuals, and two ships have been placed on a sanctions list.
The center noted on its website that the entities on the sanctions list, which also include ConocoPhillips and Diamond S Shipping, “will be dealt with according to the principle of confrontation.”
The HOCC stated that this announcement constitutes an official notification to the companies that they are now considered hostile entities and are exposed to attack in the vital shipping lanes.
A statement issued by the Houthi center said this is the “first batch of sanctions in response to the new US sanctions that occurred after the agreement in May 2025.”
There was no immediate comment from the targeted companies regarding this threat.
The Houthis and the U.S. had reached an agreement in May that stipulated a cessation of US attacks on Houthi areas in exchange for the Houthis not targeting American vessels. The new threat indicates a complete collapse of any understandings with Trump that were aimed at avoiding the targeting of direct US interests.
The decision to place giant American oil companies on the sanctions list confirms the Houthis’ direction to expand the circle of targeting to include vital American economic interests in the region, thereby moving beyond the direct naval targeting of warships and commercial vessels linked to the Israeli occupation.
The threat comes days after the Houthis carried out an attack on a Dutch cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, which injured two of its crew members and caused a fire onboard, confirming the continued effectiveness of the group’s military operations despite international responses.
