US Designates Yemen's Houthis as Terrorist Organization

(Patria) - The US State Department announced yesterday that the Yemeni Houthi movement, formally known as Ansar Allah, is designated as a "foreign terrorist organization", following a call from US President Donald Trump earlier this year.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced yesterday that Washington has declared this Iran-backed Yemeni militia a foreign terrorist organization.

- Today, the State Department is fulfilling one of President Trump's first promises upon taking office, and I am pleased to announce that the department has designated Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, as a foreign terrorist organization.

As President Trump outlined in Executive Order 14175, Houthi activities threaten the security of US civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the security of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade, Rubio said.

He stated that Washington will not tolerate any country engaging with organizations like the Houthis in the name of practicing legitimate international business.

- Today's action by the State Department demonstrates the Trump administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, the safety of the American people, and the security of the United States, the US Secretary of State stated yesterday.

A White House statement from January 22 of this year, announcing that the Houthis would be declared a terrorist organization, stated that they are "supported by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force (IRGC-QF), which arms and trains terrorist organizations around the world, and have repeatedly fired on US warships since 2023, endangering US soldiers".

The Houthis have been fighting against the internationally recognized Yemeni government, supported by a Saudi Arabia-led military coalition, since the 1990s.

During his first term, Trump designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization, but that decision was overturned by the Joe Biden administration due to concerns that such a designation could prevent much-needed aid from reaching Yemen.

Biden later designated the group as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity, a slightly lower level of sanctions.

The latest move, one of Trump's first foreign policy actions in his second term, could be an initial step in a "maximum pressure" campaign that his team has promised to renew against Iran, which it accuses of supporting extremist activities in the Middle East.