Washington, D.C.: According to Al Jazeera, the United States has reclassified Yemen's Houthi rebels as a "foreign terrorist organization."
This decision follows an executive order signed by former President Trump in January, which instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take "all appropriate action" against the Yemeni group, as reported by Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
During the final days of his presidency, which concluded in 2021, Trump designated the Houthis as a "foreign terrorist organization" and a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT) entity.
The Biden administration later reversed these designations shortly after taking office, citing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
However, the SDGT designation was reinstated in response to the Houthis' assaults on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which escalated following Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip.
The U.S. State Department stated that the reclassification of the Houthis "reflects the Trump Administration's commitment to safeguarding our national security interests, the safety of American citizens, and the security of the United States."
A White House statement on January 22, just two days after Trump's inauguration, indicated that the Executive Order initiates a process to designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Under Trump's administration, U.S. policy now emphasizes collaboration with regional allies to dismantle the Houthis' capabilities and operations, cut off their resources, and ultimately halt their attacks on U.S. personnel, civilians, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea, according to the White House.
In light of the Houthis' reclassification as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), the Executive Order mandates that the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Secretary of State collaboratively assess the activities of United Nations partners, non-governmental organizations, and contractors active in Yemen, according to the statement.
Subsequent to this evaluation, the President will instruct USAID to terminate its associations with organizations that have financially supported the Houthis or have resisted international initiatives aimed at countering the Houthis, while neglecting their acts of terrorism and human rights violations.
