In a significant policy reversal, the Biden administration has reclassified the Houthi rebels as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT), an administration official confirmed on Wednesday.
This move comes after the administration had previously removed the Houthis' SDGT status and de-listed them as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in February 2021, a day after President Biden assumed office. This action had effectively reversed the Trump administration's decision to label the group as such during its final weeks in power.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had defended the decision to de-list the Houthis, arguing that such a designation could potentially hinder the delivery of essential aid to the Yemeni populace. Blinken had described the move as "a recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen."
However, a recent press release from the State Department explained the reclassification of the Houthis as a terrorist group, stating, "This designation seeks to promote accountability for the groups terrorist activities. If the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will reevaluate this designation.
This policy shift comes in the wake of multiple U.S. military strikes in Yemen against anti-ship ballistic missiles in a Houthi-controlled region. These strikes were reportedly in retaliation to attacks by the rebel group that disrupted shipping in the Red Sea.
President Biden has since condemned Yemen's Houthi forces as a "terrorist" group, following a series of airstrikes in Yemen carried out by American and British military forces. The Houthi militia movement has responded with threats of a "strong and effective response."
A U.S. official revealed that the military action was "against four Houthi ballistic missiles that posed an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships," as reported by the Daily Mail. These strikes reportedly occurred a day after Yemeni rebels launched an attack against an American cargo ship.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan issued a statement on Wednesday addressing the redesignation. "Over the past months, Yemen-based Houthi militants have engaged in unprecedented attacks against United States military forces and international maritime vessels operating in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden," he said. "These attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism. They have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized global trade, and threatened freedom of navigation."
Sullivan continued, "Today, in response to these continuing threats and attacks, the United States announced the designation of Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. This designation is an important tool to impede terrorist funding to the Houthis, further restrict their access to financial markets, and hold them accountable for their actions."
Sullivan concluded by stating that the "designation will take effect 30 days from now, to allow us to ensure robust humanitarian carve outs are in place so our action targets the Houthis and not the people of Yemen," and affirmed that "the United States will not hesitate to take further actions to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce."
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