The Biden administration is planning to designate Yemen’s Houthi militia as a terrorist organization, reversing penalties that were imposed on the Iran-backed group almost three years ago, due to attacks on international shipping traffic, which resulted in a U.S. military response. The United States will officially consider the Houthis to be a “specially designated global terrorist” group, starting in mid-February, says Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. This will restrict their access to the global financial system and impose other penalties. However, the U.S. did not apply a “foreign terrorist organization” designation, which was a more severe measure imposed by the Trump administration, and later revoked by President Biden.
Aid groups and U.S. officials have raised concerns about the potential effects of designating the Houthis as a terrorist organization, with some warning that it may impede humanitarian aid to Yemen. The movement is a response to, and attempt to stop, Houthi missile and drone attacks on maritime traffic off Yemen’s coast. These attacks, which the Houthis claim are a display of solidarity with Palestinians experiencing Israeli bombardment in Gaza, have disrupted shipping lanes, leading to worldwide delays and higher shipping costs. President Biden ordered multiple strikes on Houthi facilities in Yemen as a response.
The designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization reflects an attempt to strike a balance in protecting the flow of much-needed humanitarian aid to people in Yemen, who have suffered from famine, disease, and displacement during more than a decade of civil war. The move may be seen as a “half-measure” meant to express frustration with the Houthis while minimizing the potential impact on humanitarian efforts, according to David Schenker, a former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs in the Trump administration.
The Treasury Department will issue licenses for certain transactions related to the provision of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential resources, to ensure that the Yemeni people can maintain access to these supplies. However, U.S. aid organizations remain deeply concerned about the potential chilling effect of the new designation and its impact on Yemeni civilians. It’s also unclear whether this designation will impact ongoing efforts to reach a lasting peace deal to end the conflict in Yemen.
The Houthis themselves have expressed that they won’t be intimidated by the U.S. actions. U.S. officials, on the other hand, have expressed hopes that the designation could eventually be removed if the Houthis cease their aggressive behavior. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken emphasized the importance of working with aid providers and others in the next 30 days before the designation takes effect to help them navigate the new environment.
Despite these clarifications, some U.S. aid organizations are alarmed by the government’s action, and warn of a potential serious chilling effect on aid to Yemeni civilians. “We are concerned some private-sector actors, including food importers and banks facilitating transactions for humanitarian organizations, may choose to disengage altogether,” says Anastasia Moran, associate director for U.S. advocacy at the International Rescue Committee.
The U.S. government’s designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization may also impact their peace efforts in the region, and has raised concerns among U.S. officials. The Houthis have been fighting Yemen’s local affiliate of Al Qaeda and are perceived as proxies by neighboring Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which then led to increased conflict in Yemen. The Biden administration had previously reversed designations imposed by the Trump administration, citing the potential impact on the Yemeni population and humanitarian aid.
In a statement issued after the associated press first reported the U.S. government’s planned action, Senator Tom Cotton criticized President Biden’s 2021 removal of the Houthis from the terrorist list, characterizing it as a “deadly mistake.” He also referred to the decision as a failed attempt to appease Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
U.S. officials have been contemplating this move for the last two years, showing the importance of signaling a rejection of the Houthis’ tactics of attacking international shipping and may impact peace negotiations in the region.
Vivian Nereim contributed reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
