Yemen’s Houthis say they will target major US oil exporters in nearby seas

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By Jonathan Saul and Lisa Baertlein

LONDON/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Yemen’s Houthis will target U.S. oil majors including Exxon Mobil and Chevron despite an earlier truce with President Donald Trump’s administration to not attack U.S.-linked ships sailing in the Red Sea and the wider Gulf of Aden, the Iran-backed militia said on Tuesday.

The Sanaa-based Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), which liaises between Houthi forces and commercial shipping operators and is associated with the Houthi military, sanctioned 13 U.S. companies, nine executives and two vessels.

Entities designated by the Houthis “shall be dealt with in accordance with the principle of confrontation,” HOCC said on its website of what it will do regarding those deemed to be under their sanctions. 

The announcement is a notice that the companies, which also include ConocoPhillips, are deemed hostile entities open to attack.

The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

“It remains unclear whether these sanctions signal that the Houthis will begin targeting vessels linked to the sanctioned organizations, companies, and individuals — a move that would risk violating the ceasefire agreement with the Trump administration, facilitated by Oman,” independent Middle East analyst Mohammed Albasha said in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday.

The Houthis since 2023 have launched numerous assaults on vessels in the Red Sea that they deem to be linked with Israel in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war on Gaza.  

That campaign has had little effect on vital oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which is located between Oman and Iran and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The Houthis have occasionally attacked ships in the Gulf of Aden, which flows into the Arabian Sea.

This week, a Houthi-style attack on a Dutch cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden injured two crew and left the vessel ablaze and adrift. The rebels have not claimed responsibility. 

Last year, the U.S. imported about 500,000 barrels per day of crude and condensate from Persian Gulf countries through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the EIA. That represents about 7% of total U.S. crude oil and condensate imports – the lowest level in nearly 40 years due to increased domestic production and Canadian imports, the agency said.

“Why now? The Houthis say this action is taken under the principle of reciprocity, a response to U.S. sanctions — despite Oman’s May 6, 2025, announcement of a de-escalation and ceasefire between the U.S. and them,” analyst Albasha wrote.

The Houthi statement, Albasha added, also said “the ultimate goal of these sanctions is not punishment for its own sake, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.”

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles, Jonathan Saul in London and Liz Hampton in Denver; Editing by Leslie Adler and Daniel Wallis)