The Houthis in Yemen have accused the US of prolonging the war in their country, shortly after Washington imposed sanctions on two of the group's senior leaders.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media.

"America is condemning itself and confirming that it is not thinking about stopping the aggression," said official spokesman Muhammad Abdul Salam on Twitter. "And that it stands behind the prolonging of the war and the exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis."

Earlier on Tuesday, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on the Houthi Naval Forces Chief of Staff, Mansur Al-Sa'adi, and the commander of the Houthi-aligned Yemeni Air Force and Air Defence Forces, Ahmad Ali Ahsan Al-Hamzi. Both are alleged to have been involved in cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and shipping in the Red Sea.

The internationally-recognised Yemeni government welcomed the sanctions. It accused the Houthis of "refusing to respond to calls for peace and continuing to implement Iran's destabilising agenda in Yemen and the region."