US Re-Designates Yemen’s Houthi Movement as Terrorist Organization

The US Department of State has formally designated Yemen’s Houthi movement, officially known as Ansar Allah, as a “foreign terrorist” organization, Al Jazeera reports.

The announcement, made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reinstates a designation previously implemented by the Trump administration and then reversed by President Biden.

The re-designation carries significant weight, imposing sanctions and penalties on individuals and entities that provide “material support” to the Houthis. This includes financial, logistical, and other forms of assistance.

“The Houthis’ activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade,” Secretary Rubio stated on Tuesday. “The United States will not tolerate any country engaging with terrorist organizations like the Houthis in the name of practising legitimate international business.”

The Trump administration had initially labeled the Houthis as a “foreign terrorist” organization and a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT) entity in its final days in office. However, the Biden administration, under then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken, quickly revoked the designation, citing concerns over the already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. The move was intended to ease the delivery of vital aid to the country’s struggling population.

The current administration argues that the reversal emboldened the Houthis. A White House statement in January claimed Biden’s “weak policy” had resulted in the Houthis launching numerous attacks, including targeting US Navy warships, commercial vessels, and civilian infrastructure in allied nations.

“Under President Trump, it is now the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the Houthis’ capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on US personnel and civilians, US partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea,” the White House statement declared.