Trump Initiates Process to Redesignate Yemen’s Houthis as Terrorist Group

President Donald Trump has set in motion a process to re-designate Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a “foreign terrorist organization,” Al Jazeera reports, citing the White House.

The move marks a significant shift in US policy towards the group, reversing President Joe Biden’s previous decision to remove the designation.

Trump’s executive order directs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to submit a report on the redesignation within 30 days, following consultation with the director of national intelligence and the secretary of the treasury. Rubio would then have 15 days to “take all appropriate action” regarding the designation of the rebel group, also known as Ansar Allah.

While the order to review the Houthis’ status is largely considered a formality, it signals a clear intent from the Trump administration to reinstate the terrorist designation. A follow-up statement from the White House confirmed that Rubio, who has long advocated for this action, has been instructed to recommend the listing.

During his first term, Trump initially designated the Yemeni group as a “foreign terrorist organization” and a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT) entity during his final days in office. However, President Biden swiftly reversed this decision shortly after taking office, with then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken citing concerns about the “dire humanitarian situation in Yemen” as a primary factor.

The Biden administration, however, reimposed the SDGT designation – the narrower of the two classifications – in January 2023, in response to the Houthi’s continuous attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The White House statement criticized Biden’s “weak policy” for allowing the Houthis to escalate their attacks on US warships, commercial vessels, and civilian infrastructure in allied countries.

According to the White House, the new policy under President Trump aims to cooperate with regional partners to eliminate the Houthis’ capabilities, deprive them of resources, and stop attacks on US personnel and civilians, US partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea.

Furthermore, Trump’s order also directs the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to sever ties with any entities that have provided funds to the Houthis or opposed efforts to counter the group, specifically calling out the “terrorism and abuses” the group has engaged in.

The announcement comes just hours after the Houthis announced they had released the crew of the Galaxy Leader cargo vessel, which was seized by the Iran-backed group shortly after the beginning of the Israel-Gaza war. The group said the release of the 25 crew members was part of its efforts to support the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.