But the listing will not take effect for another 30 days and could be canceled “if the Houthis stop their attacks,” the official said.
Designation as a terrorist organization denies the Houthis access to the US financial system and allows for sanctions against their supporters.
The attacks “are a clear example of terrorism and a violation of international law, as well as a serious threat to lives, global trade and a threat to humanitarian aid,” the official said.
The relisting of the Houthis as a terrorist group follows a series of attacks by Yemeni rebels on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea.
Washington previously declared the Houthis a terrorist group in January 2021 during the last days of Donald Trump’s administration. The following month, President Joe Biden reversed the decision. Critics of the original decision said the designation of the Houthis as terrorists would hamper humanitarian aid to civil war-torn Yemen, much of which the Houthis control.
Yemeni rebels have carried out several missile and drone strikes on merchant ships in the Red Sea and the Strait of Babelmandeb in recent months. The rebels say they attack ships bound for Israel and demand that Israel end the war in the Gaza Strip.
Due to the Houthi attacks, many large shipping lines have given up sailing in the Red Sea and diverted their ships to other routes.
In December, a US-led international military mission was launched in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in an effort to protect merchant shipping.
The United States and Great Britain have carried out strikes on several rebel-related targets in many parts of Yemen.
On Tuesday, the US military said it had destroyed four anti-ship missiles in Yemen that posed a direct threat to military and civilian vessels. During the week, US forces attacked the Houthis at least three times.
Last week, the United States and Britain attacked nearly 30 targets in Yemen with more than 150 munitions, and American forces later attacked a Houthi radar site.
2024-01-17 20:09:00
#repeatedly #recognized #Yemens #Houthis #terrorist #group
