The Biden administration will rescind the designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization.
The Biden Administration said Friday (Feb. 5) it will revoke the designation of the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen as a terrorist organization, reversing a move made in the final days of the Trump administration.
Fox reports that the move is the latest sign that the Biden administration wants to take a different approach to the Middle East.
A State Department spokesman said that after a comprehensive review, it is confirmed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken intends to revoke the Houthis’ designation as a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist organization.
“We have formally notified Congress that the Secretary of State intends to revoke these designations and will release additional details in the coming days.”
Last month, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced sanctions against the Houthis and designated them as a “foreign terrorist organization.” It was part of the Trump Administration‘s move to isolate Iran while supporting its Saudi-led allies.
“The Trump administration is simply acknowledging the reality,” Pompeo said last month, that “the Houthis are terrorists” and backed by Iran.
Pompeo also said the Iranian regime is funding a missile program and financing terrorist groups in Yemen, putting Europe and the Middle East at risk.
In 2014, the Houthis seized territory, including Yemen’s capital Sanaa (Sana’a). In response, a Saudi-led coalition launched a military intervention in 2015. The conflict has killed 112,000 people and destroyed Yemen’s infrastructure. The United Nations estimates that 13.5 million Yemenis face Food insecurity.
A recent U.N. report said there is “growing” evidence that the Iranian regime is sending weapons and weapons components to the Houthis, including anti-tank missiles and sniper rifles, all of which are marked with markings consistent with Iranian-made weapons.
The report also accuses the parties of “persistent and widespread violations of human rights and international law with impunity” that have escalated the fighting and had a huge impact on civilians, including displacement.
The State Department said Friday that the Biden administration’s decision was “irrelevant to our view of the Houthis and their reprehensible actions, including attacks on civilians and the kidnapping of U.S. citizens.
“We are committed to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory from further such attacks,” the spokesman said, adding that “our actions are solely due to the humanitarian consequences of this last-minute designation by the previous administration.”
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