Trump admin redesignates Houthis as 'foreign terrorist organisation'

The US redesignated Yemen's Houthi rebels as 'foreign terrorist organisation', Al Jazeera reported.

The move came after Trump signed an executive order in January directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take "all appropriate action" against the Yemeni rebels, as per Al Jazeera report on Tuesday.

Trump listed the Houthis as a "foreign terrorist organisation" and "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT) entity during the final days of his first term, which ended in 2021.

Former US President Joe Biden's administration reversed those designations weeks after coming into office, citing the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

It later reimposed the SDGT label in response to the Houthis' attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which began after Israel launched its war in the Gaza Strip.

The US State Department said the redesignation of the Houthis "demonstrates the Trump Administration's commitment to protecting our national security interests, the safety of the American people, and the security of the United States".

"The Executive Order sets in motion a process by which Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, will be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization," a statement by the White House read on January 22, just two days after Trump's swearing-in as the President.

Under Trump, it is now the policy of the US to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the Houthis' capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on US personnel and civilians, US partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea, as per White House statement.

Following the Houthis' re-designation as an FTO, the Executive Order also directs the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Secretary of State to jointly review United Nations partners, nongovernmental organizations, and contractors operating in Yemen, as per the statement.

Following this review, the President will direct USAID to end its relationship with entities that have made payments to the Houthis, or which have opposed international efforts to counter the Houthis while turning a blind eye towards the Houthis' terrorism and abuses.