Biden admin will re-classify Houthis as global terrorists after dozens of attacks in Red Sea: Report

The Biden administration is planning to redesignate the Houthis as global terrorists after the “militia” group has made repeated attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The Houthis, an Iranian-backed militia group located in Yemen, have launched several attacks against commercial vessels and U.S. coalition forces in the Red Sea since Oct. 7, in an apparent show of support for Hamas’ ongoing war against Israel. The Biden administration removed the Houthis from the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list and the “specially designated global terrorists” list in 2021, but are now considering adding the Houthis back to the latter amid the group’s rising aggression in the Middle East, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

On Jan. 11 at 2:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command forces, in coordination with the United Kingdom, and support from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain conducted joint strikes on Houthi targets to degrade their capability to continue their illegal and… pic.twitter.com/bR8biMolSx

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 12, 2024

The Biden administration originally removed the Houthis from the watchlists, citing concerns over the label’s potential impact on humanitarian aid to Yemen.

The Houthis have launched over two dozen attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea in recent months, scaring off companies from conducting transit in the region and putting a strain on global trade. The U.S. formed a joint coalition with other Western Forces in the Red Sea to deter the Houthis, eventually launching retaliatory strikes against the militia group after more attacks.

Though Biden’s administration does not formally refer to the Houthis as terrorists, President Joe Biden abruptly said during a campaign event last week that he “[thinks] they are,” warning of future strikes if the group kept up its aggression in the region, according to Reuters. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby reiterated Biden’s latter point on Tuesday but noted that the U.S. is “not looking for a war in the Middle East,” and that the strikes are only meant to incapacitate the Houthis’ offensive capabilities, according to Axios.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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