The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions against what it said were members of an international financing network for Yemen’s Houthi rebels after the Iran-backed group escalated drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

       The penalties from the Treasury Department appeared to fall short of the tougher measures that the Saudis and Emiratis, American allies, had sought from the Biden administration.

       The sanctions are aimed at a source of the rebel group's financial support, targeting shipping companies and other businesses that the U.S. says smuggles petroleum and other commodities around the Middle East, Asia and Africa to fund the Houthis.

       The Houthis seized control of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and much of the rest of the north of the Arabian Peninsula nation in 2014. A Saudi-led military coalition entered the war the next year in a so-far unsuccessful fight against the rebels.

       The Houthis have resisted Biden administration attempts at peace talks and have escalated attacks into the far-wealthier neighboring countries instead.

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