Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that the State Department re-designated Ansarallah, commonly referred to as the Houthis, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
“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,” Rubio said in a statement.
The Iranian-backed terror group has fired several ballistic missiles at civilian populations in Israel, launched more than one hundred attacks on international cargo ships and other vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Eden, and disrupted international trade. According to Rubio, the group has been sparing Chinese-flagged ships while targeting American and allied vessels.
President Donald Trump first designated the Houthis as an FTO in the last weeks of his first term, but former President Joe Biden rescinded it in February 2021 due to the designation interfering with providing humanitarian aid to Yemen, CNN reported.
In Executive Order 14175 from January, Trump said, “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.” In January 2024, the Biden administration classified the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Entity (SDGT). SDGT implements economic sanctions but does not impose travel bans or allow sanctions on those supporting the group as the FTO designation does, according to the State Department.
“Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities,” Rubio said.