U.S. President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order re-designating Ansar Allah (also known as the Houthis) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
As announced, the Executive Order directs the Secretary of State, in consultation with others, to recommend the re-designation of the Houthis within 30 days.
According to the White House statement, it is now the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the Houthis’ capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on U.S. personnel and civilians, U.S. partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea.
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.
Furthermore, following this review, President Trump 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.
President Trump had also designated the Iranian-backed Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in January 2021.
