US designates Yemen’s Houthis as ‘foreign terrorist’ organisation

According to the US Department of State, the Houthi movement in Yemen, which is formally known as Ansar Allah, is a “foreign terrorist” organization.

The designation, which is subject to sanctions and fines for anyone offering “material support” to the organization, was announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

He said in a statement on Tuesday that “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.

In the name of conducting legitimate international business, he reaffirmed that the United States will not tolerate any nation engaging in negotiations with terrorist organizations like the Houthis.

According to the White House at the time, US President Donald Trump had initiated the process in January.

In his final year in office, Trump had also listed the Yemeni group as a “foreign terrorist” and “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT) organization.

However, the administration of former US President Joe Biden reversed Trump’s designations soon after taking office, with former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken citing “recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen.”

In a statement released in January, the White House claimed that Biden’s “weak policy” had caused the Houthis to fire on US Navy warships repeatedly, repeatedly target commercial vessels, and attack civilian infrastructure in partner countries.