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WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and U.K. on Thursday imposed sanctions on four leaders of Yemen's Houthi rebel group who have supported the militant group's recent attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Houthi leaders Mohamed al-Atifi, Muhammad Fadl Abd al-Nabi, Muhammad Ali al-Qadiri and Muhammad Ahmad al-Talibi are all accused of assisting or sponsoring acts of terrorism, according to U.S. Treasury. The sanctions block access to U.S. property and bank accounts and prevent the targeted people and companies from doing business with Americans. Members of a former rebel group originally from the remote mountains of northwest Yemen, Houthi leaders are generally seen as having few assets within reach of U.S. authorities to be affected by the sanctions. The U.S. and the United Kingdom have launched multiple rounds of airstrikes seeking to stop the attacks.

Persons: Yemen's, Mohamed al, Muhammad Fadl Abd al, Nabi, Muhammad Ali al, Muhammad Ahmad al, Abdel Malek al, Matthew Miller, “, ”, Miller, Houthi, Brian E, Nelson, Thursday's, Ellen Knickmeyer, Jon Gambrell, Jack Jeffrey Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . Treasury, Department, U.S . Defense, State, U.S . Navy, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Gulf of Aden, Red, Gaza, Israel, Yemen, Yemeni, Aden, United Kingdom, London

Friday's phone call came one day after Netanyahu said that he has told U.S. officials in plain terms that he will not support a Palestinian state as part of any post-war plan. But the regular cadence of calls between Biden and Netanyahu, who have had a hot-and-cold relationship for over three decades, has slowed considerably. And in late 2019, during a question and answer session with voters on the campaign trail, Biden called Netanyahu an “extreme right” leader. Netanyahu argues that a Palestinian state would become a launchpad for attacks on Israel. They hold out hope Israel could eventually come around to accepting a Palestinian state that comes with strong security guarantees for Israel.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu, Biden's, ”, John Kirby, Eytan Gilboa, “, Donald Trump, Trump, hasn't, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Connecticut Sen, Chris Murphy, Michael Koplow, Ron Dermer, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Brett McGurk, Amos Hochstein, ” Blinken, Barack Obama, —, Israel, ” Netanyahu, Daniel Kurtzer, Bill Clinton, George W, Bush, Julia Frankel, Ellen Knickmeyer, Seung Min Kim, Colleen Long Organizations: WASHINGTON, Israeli, U.S, Security, Democrat, Islamic, Israel’s, Ilan University, Israel, Netanyahu, Key Democratic, Biden, Economic, Middle, ” Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Palestinian Authority Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, United States, U.S, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Davos, East Jerusalem, ”, Jordan, Egypt, Jerusalem, Washington

The idea of using Russia's frozen assets is gaining new traction lately as continued allied funding for Ukraine becomes more uncertain and the U.S. Congress is in a stalemate over providing more support. Bipartisan legislation circulating in Washington called the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act would use assets confiscated from the Russian Central Bank and other sovereign assets for Ukraine. Belgium, which is holding the rotating presidency of the European Union bloc for the next six months, is now leading the talks on whether to seize Russia's assets. Belgium is also the country where most frozen Russian assets under sanctions are being held. Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cautioned that if Ukraine's immediate needs aren't met, “no amount of seized Russian assets is unfortunately going to compensate for what may happen."

Persons: — It's, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “ Putin, ”, ” Biden, Penny Pritzker, “, Nicholas Mulder, Vladimir Putin, Shalanda Young, ” Young, ” Sergey Aleksashenko, Treasuries —, Konstantin Malofeyev, Alexander De Croo, De Croo, Maria Snegovaya, aren't, Ellen Knickmeyer, Lisa Mascaro, Seung Min Kim, Zeke Miller, Aamer, Sam Petrequin, Jamey Keaton Organizations: WASHINGTON, Russian Central Bank, U.S ., U.S, ., ”, Ukraine, Russia, Cornell University, Washington, Russia's Central Bank, White, Management, Russian Central Banker, Russian, Justice Department, State Department, European Union, Belgian, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Associated Press Locations: United States, Ukraine, Davos, Switzerland, Ukrainian, Washington, “, America, Russia, Russian, U.S, China, Frankfurt, Belgium, Brussels

The strikes were launched from the Red Sea and hit more than a dozen sites, the officials said. The sanctions that come with the formal designation are meant to sever violent extremist groups from their sources of financing. Despite the sanctions and military strikes, including a large-scale operation Friday carried out by U.S. and British warships and warplanes that hit more than 60 targets across Yemen, the Houthis are continuing their harassment campaign of commercial and military ships. On Thursday a U.S. raid on a dhow intercepted ballistic missile parts the U.S. said Iran was shipping to Yemen. In response Tuesday, the U.S. struck four anti-ship ballistic missiles that were prepared to launch and presented an imminent threat to merchant and U.S. Navy ships in the region.

Persons: Pat Ryder, ” Ryder, Aamer Madhani, Ellen Knickmeyer Organizations: WASHINGTON, Houthi, Marshall, U.S ., U.S . Navy, Pentagon, Associated Press Locations: Yemen, Israel, Dhamar, U.S, Picardy, Gulf, Aden, Iran, Malta, Washington

If so, U.S. military aid to Israel, long assured without question, could be quickly halted. Heading toward the vote, Sanders said senators are nervous because what he’s trying to do is unprecedented in procedure and essentially practice. The action comes as Biden's request for $106 billion supplemental national security aid for Israel as well as Ukraine and other military needs is at a standstill. Going further, Sanders had already announced his refusal to support more military aid to Israel in the package because of the war. It requires that any arms or military aid must be used in accordance with international human rights accords.

Persons: Sen, Bernie Sanders, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Antony Blinken, Sanders, Israel, ” Sanders, John Kirby, ” Kirby, Netanyahu, Nixon, it's, Ellen Knickmeyer Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . State Department, Hamas, Israel, U.S, United, White House National Security, Foreign, State Department, Republicans, GOP, U.S . Associated Press Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S, United States, Vermont, Ukraine, Mexico

The move comes as the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. In its waning days, the Trump administration designated the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization over the strong objections of human rights and humanitarian aid groups. Yemen, on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula bordering the Red Sea, is the poorest country in the Arab world. While supporters of broad sanctions argue it’s possible to shape any enforcement mechanisms so to exempt food and humanitarian aid, aid organizations worry that fears of running afoul of U.S. regulation could scare away shippers, banks and other players vital to Yemen’s commercial food supply. The Red Sea attacks have already caused significant disruptions to global trade.

Persons: —, Biden, Antony Blinken, Trump, Blinken, ”, Scott Paul, “, Yemen’s Houthi, Jake Sullivan, Linda Thomas Greenfield, Brent, Houthis, Sullivan, Joe Biden's, ” Sullivan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Al Thani, Mohammed Shia, Masrour Barzani, Jon Gambrell, Edith M, Lederer, Ellen Knickmeyer Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, U.S, Nations, Oxfam America, White House, House, Economic, British, United Nations, Consulate, Islamic, Tuesday, ___ Associated Press Locations: Yemen, Red, Gaza, Israel, Yemenis, U.S, Davos, Switzerland, Iran, Malta, Tehran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al, Qatar, Kurdish, House, Irbil, ___, Jerusalem, Washington

The warning came as Yemen’s Houthis vowed retaliation, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israel's war in Gaza. The U.S.-led bombardment came in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the vital Red Sea. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. The Houthis’ military spokesman, Brig. Tesla, meanwhile, said it would temporarily halt most production at its German factory because of attacks in the Red Sea.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Yemen’s Houthis, “, " Biden, Lloyd Austin, Donald Trump Lt, Douglas Sims, Yahya Saree, Nikolas, Iran’s, Hussein, George W, Bush, Friday's, Nasser Kanaani, Vassily Nebenzia, Linda Thomas, Ambassador Barbara Woodward, Thomas, Greenfield, ” ___ Gambrell, Ahmed Al, Haj, Bassem, Jill Lawless, Nasser Karimi, Fatima Hussein, Ellen Knickmeyer, Chris Megerian, Seung Min Kim, Edith M, Lederer Organizations: WASHINGTON, Britain, Associated Press, U.S . Central Command, Navy, White, Camp, U.S . Navy, Republicans, Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff, . Air Forces Central Command, Tomahawk, Foreign Ministry, Brent, Food, U.S, U.S ., United Arab Emirates, . Security, Ambassador, United Nations Locations: Yemen, U.S, Sanaa, Iran, Aden, Gaza . U.S, Houthi, Gen, Red, Gaza, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, United Kingdom, Bani, Abbs, Gulf of Oman, Tehran, Washington, Suez, America, Britain, Houthis, Greenfield, U.K, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Beirut, London, Emmaus , Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Monday that the U.S. may establish a naval task force to escort commercial ships in the Red Sea, a day after three vessels were struck by missiles fired by Iranian-back Houthis in Yemen. On Sunday, ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships, while a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defense during an hourslong assault, the U.S. military said. He noted similar task forces are used to protect commercial shipping elsewhere, including off the coast of Somalia. The Houthi attacks imperil traffic on one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes and with it global trade overall. Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesThe Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab are also part of a vital route for commercial shipping overall, carrying millions of tons of agricultural products and other goods to markets yearly.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Yemen’s Houthi, ” Sullivan, Sullivan, Jon Gambrell, Ellen Knickmeyer Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, U.S . Energy, Administration, ” Locations: U.S, Red, Iranian, Yemen, Israel, United States, Somalia, Gulf, Europe, China, Bab, Iran

Linking Ukraine’s military assistance to U.S. border security interjects one of the most divisive domestic political issues — immigration and border crossings — into the middle of an intensifying debate over wartime foreign policy. Failure risks delaying U.S. military aid to Kyiv and Israel, along with humanitarian assistance for Gaza, in the midst of two wars, potentially undermining America's global standing. Rather than approve Biden’s request, which includes $61 billion for Ukraine, Republicans are demanding something in return. Democrats call these essentially nonstarters, and the border security talks are going slowly. Other Republicans, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a Donald Trump ally, have drawn an even deeper line against Ukraine aid.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Joe Biden’s, ”, Luke Coffey, Andriy Yermak, Coffey, Vladimir Putin’s, Mitch McConnell, It’s, “, Sen, Chris Murphy, Conn, Biden, Tom Cotton, McConnell, Sabrina Singh, Democratic Sen, Jack Reed, Mike Garcia of, Garcia, Mike Johnson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Donald Trump, Lolita C, Baldor, Ellen Knickmeyer, Stephen Groves Organizations: WASHINGTON, Hudson Institute, Republican, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Biden, Republicans, Democrats, Senate, The Defense Department, Defense Department, Congressional Research Service, World Bank . National, Democratic, Senate Armed Services Committee, Russia, Kyiv, Navy, Rep Locations: Washington, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Mexico, U.S, Kyiv, Gaza, Ukrainian, United States, Kentucky, Russian, Rhode Island, ”, Mike Garcia of California, Iraq, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia

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