Washington (NewsNation) — The Biden administration Wednesday announced it will relist the Houthi rebel group as a “specially designated global terrorist” following its attacks on U.S. military and commercial ships in the Red Sea.
The designation comes amid escalating tensions in the region that involved U.S.-led strikes against Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The Houthis have launched approximately 30 drone and missile attacks toward international ships since November 2023.
White House National security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement the move is meant to “impede terrorist funding to the Houthis, further restrict their access to financial markets, and hold them accountable for their actions.”
The administration stopped short of reimposing the more severe designation of “foreign terrorist organization” on the Houthis.
Former President Donald Trump’s administration branded Ansarallah – also referred to as the Houthis – a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” and “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” in January 2021. The designations were intended to hold the Houthis accountable for their “terrorist acts, including cross-border attacks threatening civilian populations, infrastructure, and commercial shipping,” Mike Pompeo, the top diplomat under Trump, said at the time.
One month later, the Biden administration revoked its predecessor’s designations in “recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the decision was intended to ensure U.S. policies “do not impede” humanitarian assistance to the Yemenis.
Yemen – located on the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman – remains in an intractable civil war. Beginning in 2014, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels took control of Yemen’s capital of Sana’a. With the goal of restoring the government, the Saudis led an Arab coalition to oust the Houthis. The intervention received logistical and intelligence support from the West, including the United States.
After nearly a decade of conflict, Yemen faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with more than two-thirds of the population in dire need of assistance, the U.N. Refugee Agency says.
The Biden administration’s listing will go into effect on February 16th.
Blinken announced that “if the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will reevaluate this designation.”
While Washington has emphasized this is about defending international commerce and has nothing to do with the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the Houthis called the classification a “badge of honor” and pledged to continue their attacks in what they say is in “solidarity with the wronged Palestinian people.”
The American retaliatory strikes have targeted Houthi “radar systems, air defense systems, and storage and launch sites for one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles,” according to a statement from U.S. Central Command.
“We believe that we did have a good effect with those strikes in terms of disrupting and degrading their capability to conduct military offensive operations,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday.
Until the designation is official, the United States will work with humanitarian groups based in Yemen to make sure the Yemeni people will not be adversely affected.
The Department of Treasury will also publish licenses authorizing certain transactions related to the provision of food, medicine and fuel for the people of Yemen.