Yemen’s central bank orders banks to freeze assets of 135 Houthi-linked individuals, entities - Anadolu Ajansı

Yemen’s central bank has instructed commercial banks to freeze the assets of 135 individuals and entities it links to the Houthi movement, according to Anadolu Ajansı. The directive marks one of the more sweeping financial measures taken by the internationally recognized central bank in Aden and signals a further institutional split with authorities in Sanaa.

The order’s significance lies in what it targets: not only named individuals but also entities, which can include businesses and financial intermediaries. Freezing assets at the commercial-bank level can complicate payments, trade finance, and remittance flows for anyone caught in the designation, and it may raise compliance burdens for banks operating across Yemen’s fragmented banking system.

What to watch: how broadly banks interpret the list, whether counterparties in Sanaa respond with reciprocal measures, and whether the designations affect wider channels such as money-transfer networks and import financing. For markets, the immediate relevance is less about direct exposure than about the risk of tighter financial fragmentation and higher compliance costs in a conflict-affected economy.