The United States Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has put sanctions on Yemeni based Sama airline. The announcement came on January 16 with the reason for these sanctions being an alleged association with the Houthi paramilitary group, which controls the northwestern part of the country, thus the U.S government have designated it as a dormant company over its alleged ties.
Activities and Sanctions
According to the U.S government‘s Treasury Department Sama has been accused of allegedly having strong connections to Houthi activities and of using the company to fund previous military exploits, including several attacks on cargo ships passing through the Red Sea between 2023 and 2024. It is for this reason that the U.S Treasury has put Yemen, and by extension Sama and Barash Aviation, on their Specially Designated Nationals List (SND) along with other countries affected by the sanctions like the United Arab Emirates (UBE) and Oman.
Sama and The Houthis
The Sama airline in Yemen (not to be confused with its now defunct Saudi airline namesake) was established in 2023 in the capital city of Sana’a, and is considered a start up airline that purports to be financed by “100% Yemeni capital.”, as displayed on their website homepage. The website also lists a fleet of Airbus A320 as part of the airline’s inventory. The U.S Treasury Department believes that the Houthi are looking to purchase these aircraft for aiding in cargo smuggling operations by Barash Aviation and Cargo Company Ltd. at Sana’a International Airport (SAH), as much of Yemen’s capital is already under Houthi control. The Treasury has begun targeting facilitators of these illegitimate companies transporting undeclared cargo, treating these matters as acts of counter-terrorism prevention.
Do you think this is a fair punishment coming from the U.S Treasury? Should they impose further sanctions? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
