President Donald Trump of the United States re-designated the Houthi movement in Yemen, officially known as Ansar Allah, as a “foreign terrorist organization,” according to the White House on Wednesday.
The action will result in more severe economic sanctions than the Biden administration had imposed on the Iran-affiliated group for its attacks on American warships protecting the vital maritime choke point and on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The decision’s supporters claim it is a long time, but some analysts warn it may have repercussions for anyone thought to be supporting the Houthis, including certain humanitarian groups.
Since November 2023, the Houthis, who rule the majority of Yemen, have attacked over 100 ships navigating the Red Sea, claiming they were demonstrating support for Palestinians in response to Israel’s assault on Hamas in Gaza. They have killed at least four seafarers, taken control of another ship, and sunk two more.
Due to the disruption caused by the attacks, shipping companies have been forced to switch to more costly and time-consuming routes around southern Africa for almost a year.
A chokepoint between the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait connects the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, which the organization has targeted.
During the Biden administration, the U.S. military conducted occasional strikes to weaken Houthi military capabilities and attempted to thwart Houthi attacks to protect commercial transportation. However, it did not target the group’s leadership.
In order to address humanitarian problems inside Yemen, Joe Biden canceled Trump’s terrorist designations at the beginning of his 2021 presidential term. Biden labeled the group a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” organization last year in response to the Red Sea bombings. However, his government refrained from implementing the more severe FTO classification.
According to British charity Oxfam, the action will exacerbate Yemeni civilians’ suffering by interfering with essential fuel, food, and medication shipments.
