WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, the State Department reinstated the classification of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group as a “foreign terrorist organization.” This decision finalizes an action announced by President Donald Trump shortly after his term began.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that the designation, which includes sanctions and penalties against anyone offering “material support” to the group, is now back in place. Rubio emphasized in a statement that “since 2023, the Houthis have launched numerous assaults on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as well as attacks on U.S. service members who are defending freedom of navigation and our allies in the region.” He further noted the recent distinction by the Houthis, who targeted American and allied ships while sparing those under a Chinese flag.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, the Houthis have attacked over 100 merchant ships in the vital trade corridor with missiles and drones. In January, they announced plans to limit attacks in the Red Sea to Israeli-affiliated ships following a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but warned that broader assaults could be resumed if needed.
In the twilight of Trump’s first Republican administration, a similar designation was imposed on the Houthis, only to be rescinded by President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration due to fears it might severely impact humanitarian aid delivery in Yemen, a country grappling with one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Rubio addressed these previous concerns, indicating that aiding nations engaging with terrorist groups like the Houthis under the guise of legitimate business would no longer be condoned by the U.S.
In conjunction with the “foreign terrorist organization” label, the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program announced financial incentives, offering up to $15 million for information that could disrupt the Houthis’ financing networks.
The United Nations reported suspending its humanitarian operations in the Yemeni regions controlled by Houthis after eight additional U.N. staff members were detained. This adds to the growing list of detainees, including U.N. staffers and those connected to aid organizations, civil society, and the previously accessible U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital. None of the captured U.N. personnel have been freed.
The conflict between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognized government, aligned with a Saudi-led coalition, began in 2014. That year, the Houthis moved from their stronghold in Saada, seizing control of Sanaa and much of the northern part of the country. In March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition, then supported by the U.S., intervened to attempt to reinstate the recognized government.
The war has resulted in the deaths of over 150,000 people, including both civilians and combatants, and has predominantly stagnated into a deadlock in recent years. The U.N. forecasts that more than 19 million people in Yemen will require humanitarian aid this year, as the country faces climate-related crises, widespread malnutrition, cholera outbreaks, and the ongoing economic devastation wrought by the war.
