Trump designates Yemen’s Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

The U.S. has redesignated the Houthis in Yemen as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), according to an Executive Order issued by President Donald Trump.

The order, issued on Wednesday, directs the Secretary of State, in consultation with other officials, to recommend the re-designation of the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, as an FTO within 30 days. The objective is to eliminate their capabilities and operations.

“Supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF), which arms and trains terrorist organizations worldwide, the Houthis have fired at U.S. Navy warships dozens of times since 2023, endangering American men and women in uniform,” the order states. “The Houthis’ activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade.”

The order also references Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure, including multiple strikes on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia. It highlights the 2022 Houthi attacks on fuel tanks and airport infrastructure in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., the firing of more than 300 projectiles into Israel, and attacks on commercial vessels that sparked the Red Sea Crisis.

During the final days of his first administration, Trump had ordered the designation of the Houthis as an FTO, a decision that was reversed within a month by the incoming Biden administration, according to the White House.