Katherine Wells, Johanna Moore, Kelly Campa, Carolyn Moorman, Siddhant Kishore, Annika Ganzeveld, Alexis Thomas, Faris Almaari, George Ekmekjian, and Brian Carter

March 5, 2025, Information Cutoff: 2:00 pm ET

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US sanctions on Houthi officials for coordinating with Russia demonstrate how Russia facilitates Iranian-backed groups’ terrorism in the Middle East. The United States designated the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization and sanctioned eight Houthi officials for facilitating attacks on international shipping and for recruiting Yemenis to fight for Russia in Ukraine. Houthi officials threatened unspecified military actions in response to US sanctions. Russia has both provided intelligence for attacks on international shipping and attempted to recruit Yemenis to fight in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Western reporting. The US Treasury stated that Russia and China colluded with the Houthis to ensure that the Houthis would not attack Russian and Chinese-flagged vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Kremlin reportedly provided targeting intelligence to the Houthis to support attacks on US and international vessels. This activity, which includes the provision of intelligence to the Houthis that could improve the Houthis’ ability to damage US or international vessels and kill US Navy sailors or third country merchant mariners, demonstrates how Russia seeks to undermine US interests in the Middle East. Russia, given its role supporting Iranian-backed Houthi campaigns in the Middle East, would not help secure US interests in the Middle East as a mediator between the United States and Iran.

Key Takeaways:

• US sanctions on Houthi officials for coordinating with Russia demonstrate how Russia facilitates Iranian-backed groups’ terrorism in the Middle East. The United States designated the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization and sanctioned eight Houthi officials for facilitating attacks on international shipping and for recruiting Yemenis to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

• Pro-Assad Militias: Interim government forces engaged a militia consisting of former pro-Assad fighters on February 5 in al Sanamayn, north of Daraa.

• Sectarian Sunni group Saraya Ansar al Sunnah claimed that it set forest fires targeting Alawites in Qardaha, Latakia Province. Saraya Ansar al Sunnah is also active in other areas of Syria, particularly in Hama Province.

• The Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displaced announced on March 5 that Iraq will not repatriate Iraqi citizens from al Hol camp in northeastern Syria for four to six months. Abbas told Kurdish media on February 15 that the Iraqi government may suspend repatriation from al Hol due to a lack of US funding as a result of the USAID funding freeze. 

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