The United States has officially designated Yemen’s Houthis group as a foreign terrorist organisation, aligning with an order issued by President Donald Trump in January.
The Iran-backed rebels, who control vast parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, have carried out missile and drone strikes on Israel since the Gaza war began in October 2023. They have also repeatedly targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, key global trade routes.
“Today’s action taken by the State Department 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,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
Trump initially placed the Houthis on the Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list during his first term. While former president Joe Biden later removed them, citing humanitarian concerns, Trump reinstated the designation through an executive order in January.
The move means that anyone engaging with or assisting the Houthis could face legal action from the United States.
Yemen, already the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest nation before the ongoing war, is experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Around two-thirds of its 34 million people require humanitarian assistance. Aid groups have previously warned that sanctions on the Houthis could hinder the delivery of essential supplies to civilians living under their control.
