Washington Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement that the United States will re-list the Houthis on the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
“Since November, the Houthis have launched unprecedented attacks against international naval vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as military forces stationed in the region to defend the safety and security of commercial shipping,” Blinken said in the announcement. “This designation seeks to enhance accountability for the group’s terrorist activities. If the Houthis stop their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will reevaluate this designation.
The move aims to hinder the group's financing and “hold it accountable” for targeting commercial and military ships, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.
The designation will take effect on February 16, providing an opportunity to reverse the decision if the Houthis stop their attacks.
The group gave no immediate indication that it would do so, with US Central Command reporting later on Wednesday that the US-owned and operated ship, M/V Genco Picardy, had been struck by a drone launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Officials said there were no casualties, and although the ship sustained some damage, it remained seaworthy and continued its voyage.
US decision makers face a challenge as they seek to stop Houthi attacks and spare Yemeni civilians from falling into the clutches of dangerous famine. Imposing further sanctions on the group would make it more difficult to help those in need. The administration decided not to re-add the Houthis to its list of foreign terrorist organizations, which would have presented a greater obstacle to humanitarian access to the country, the officials said.
“The ultimate goal of the sanctions is to convince the Houthis to stop escalation and bring about a positive change in behavior,” said a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to explain the calculations behind the decision.
The official said that the list will enter into force within 30 days “to ensure the implementation of robust humanitarian operations.” “We are taking many steps to ensure that these sanctions result in the least amount of harm to the Yemeni people.”
The Trump administration declared the group – which at the time was already on a Specially Designated Global Terrorist List – as a foreign terrorist organization in January 2021, despite humanitarian concerns about the impact of this decision on the ability to deliver aid to areas in Yemen. Controlled by the group. This designation raised questions about whether arranging or attending meetings with Houthi officials would be legal, and how aid agencies would continue to coordinate with the group to organize essential deliveries.
Less than a month later, the Biden administration removed the Houthis from the terrorist lists, with an official saying at the time that “the decision has nothing to do with our view of the Houthis and their reprehensible behavior,” but rather was due to humanitarian reasons. Fears. The Houthis have been striking civilian targets in Saudi Arabia for years with increasingly sophisticated weapons supplied by Iran.
The World Food Program said that Yemen is facing unprecedented levels of hunger, with more than 21 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Some aid groups worry that anything that could jeopardize food aid could worsen the crisis.
“This designation will add another level of uncertainty and threat to Yemenis who remain caught up in one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises,” said Scott Paul, Oxfam America’s associate director for peace and security. He added, “The Biden administration is playing with fire, and we call on them to avoid this label immediately and give priority to the lives of Yemenis now.”
US and coalition forces launched three attacks on what they said were Houthi positions in Yemen over the past week – the last of which was by US forces on Tuesday – after the group ignored repeated international warnings to stop its attacks in the Red Sea.
Houthi attacks included the hijacking of the Bahamian-flagged cargo ship, Galaxy Leader, and its crew on November 19.
Blinken said during a tour of the Middle East last week that the Houthi attacks “were aided and abetted by Iran with technological equipment and intelligence information, and are having a real impact on people.”
US Central Command He said US forces this week recovered Iranian-made missile warheads and other related components bound for Yemen in an operation near Somalia last week that led to the loss of two elite Navy SEALs at sea. Central Command said “preliminary analysis” showed that the weapons matched those used by the Houthis to target commercial ships in the Red Sea.
The Houthis took control of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, in 2014. The Saudi-led coalition began a campaign against the group the following year, leading to a protracted civil war and what the United Nations previously called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Missy Ryan contributed to this report.
