Yemeni Govt. Condemns Houthi Deportation of Baha’i Leaders

A file photo of Sanaa, Yemen. (AFP)
A file photo of Sanaa, Yemen. (AFP)
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Yemeni Govt. Condemns Houthi Deportation of Baha’i Leaders

A file photo of Sanaa, Yemen. (AFP)
A file photo of Sanaa, Yemen. (AFP)

The Yemeni legitimate government officially denounced the Houthi militias for forcing six Baha’i leaders into exile, labeling the deportation a crime.

The Iran-backed Houthis, two days ago, had forcibly exiled six Baha’i community members, including Hamid Haydara, the leader of the faith group in Yemen. The leaders had boarded a plane to leave Sanaa after the Houthis gave them given an ultimatum of either departing the country or returning to prison.

"What happened is as heinous as the crime of abducting them from their houses, holding them at detention centers for years, exposing them to the worst physical and psychological tortures and appropriating their properties," Information Minister Muammar al-Eryani said.

In official statements, he blasted the Houthis for forcibly exiling the Baha’i leaders, saying that it constitutes a flagrant violation of international laws and conventions and labeling it a crime against humanity.

Eryani also said that the deportation reflects the level of oppression faced by citizens in Houthi-run areas due to their racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

The minister also called upon the international community, the UN chief, UN special envoy to Yemen and all international organizations concerned with human rights and defending minorities to condemn this "dangerous precedent" and to pressure Houthis into stopping their racist acts against religious minorities in Yemen.

Well-informed sources in Sanaa confirmed on Sunday that the Baha’is were initially released in response to UN efforts. The sources, however, revealed that the Houthis gave them an ultimatum of either staying in prison or leaving Houthi-run territory. This comes despite the militias allegedly issuing general amnesty for the Baha’is some four months ago.



US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
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US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on what it said was a Houthi-linked petroleum smuggling and sanctions evasion network across Yemen and the United Arab Emirates in fresh action targeting the Iran-backed militant group.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said the two individuals and five entities sanctioned on Tuesday were among the most significant importers of petroleum products and money launderers that benefit the Houthis.

"The Houthis collaborate with opportunistic businessmen to reap enormous profits from the importation of petroleum products and to enable the group’s access to the international financial system," said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.

"These networks of shady businesses underpin the Houthis’ terrorist machine, and Treasury will use all tools at its disposal to disrupt these schemes."

Among those targeted on Tuesday was Muhammad Al-Sunaydar, who the Treasury said manages a network of petroleum companies between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates and was one of the most prominent petroleum importers in Yemen.

Three companies in his network were also designated, with the Treasury saying they coordinated the delivery of approximately $12 million dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum products with a US-designated company to the Houthis.

Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

In January, Trump re-designated the Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, aiming to impose harsher economic penalties in response to its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against US warships defending the critical maritime area.

In May, the United States announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.

The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it.