Overview

• The Houthi-affiliated Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center listed 13 U.S. companies, nine executives and two vessels as sanctioned, naming Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips and declaring designated entities subject to the “principle of confrontation.”
• HOCC framed the action as reciprocity for U.S. sanctions and said the goal was to induce “positive behavioral change,” according to its statement.
• The Houthis claimed a cruise‑missile strike on the Netherlands‑flagged Minervagracht in the Gulf of Aden, with EU mission Aspides and the operator reporting two injured sailors and a helicopter evacuation after the vessel caught fire.
• Independent analyst Mohammed Albasha said it is unclear whether the sanctions herald imminent targeting of linked vessels, noting any such attacks would risk violating the May ceasefire mediated by Oman with the U.S.
• The latest steps follow a Houthi campaign since 2023 against ships they judge tied to Israel, which has disrupted regional routes and insurance costs even as analysts say broader oil supply impacts have remained limited.