Trump Administration Reclassifies Yemen's Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

 

The State Department has reinstated Yemen’s Houthi militant group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), reversing a Biden-era policy. Former President Donald Trump has criticized the previous administration’s decision, arguing it emboldened the group’s attacks on U.S. forces, allies, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea.

“This action reaffirms the Trump Administration’s commitment to safeguarding national security, protecting American lives, and ensuring U.S. interests,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on March 4. The FTO designation imposes a travel ban on group members and sanctions individuals providing material support.

Also known as Ansar Allah, the Houthis are a Shiite Islamic faction that has fought Yemen’s internationally recognized government and its Saudi allies for years. Since November 2023, the group has launched over 100 attacks, sinking two ships, seizing another, killing at least four seafarers, and targeting Israel with missiles and drones. The Houthis claim their Red Sea attacks are in retaliation for Israel’s military operations in Gaza against Iran-backed Hamas following its October 7, 2023, assault on Israeli communities.