Houthi oil trade moves further into the shadows
- Houthis increasingly relying on sanctioned vessels for oil imports following FTO designation and US sanctions
- So far in July, only sanctioned vessels discharged in Ras Isa with AIS on
- Examination of AIS and satellite data suggest an increase in the number of vessels calling at Houthi-held Ras Isa with their AIS switched off
The US and the Houthis may have reached a truce in May, but Washington’s economic pressure is pushing more of the Houthis’ oil trade into the shadows. An analysis of AIS data and satellite imagery shows the Yemeni faction is increasingly relying on sanctioned tonnage for oil imports, while more vessels are calling in Ras Isa with their AIS off
