WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is ratcheting up pressure on Iran with new sanctions targeting five Iranians for supporting Shiite rebels in Yemen.
The Treasury announced Tuesday that it was blacklisting the five for providing the Houthi (HOO’-thee) rebels with technical expertise that has allowed them to launch missiles into neighboring Saudi Arabia. All five are members of or are affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed Monday that the U.S. would step up efforts against Iran’s support for groups like the Houthis, Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia, the Palestinian Hamas movement and Syria’s government following President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.
The sanctions freeze any assets the five may have in U.S. jurisdictions and prohibit Americans from any transactions with them.