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The Houthis rebels have officially been designated as a terrorist organisation by the US State Department after attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea.
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US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken and the US Department of State announced the designation of Ansarallah, commonly referred to as the Houthis, as a specially designated global terrorist group, effective 30 days from 17 January.
Ansarallah is designated for having committed or attempted to commit acts of terrorism that threaten the security of United States nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States, under the Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists, terrorist organisations, leaders of terrorist groups, and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.
Since November, the Houthis have attacked international commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as the military forces sent to defend them.
“These attacks against international shipping have endangered mariners, disrupted the free flow of commerce, and interfered with navigational rights and freedoms,” the US State Department said.
“This designation seeks to promote accountability for the group’s terrorist activities. If the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will re-evaluate this designation.
“The Houthis must be held accountable for their actions, but it should not be at the expense of Yemeni civilians. As the Department of State moves forward with this designation, we are taking significant steps to mitigate any adverse impacts this designation may have on the people of Yemen.
“During the 30-day implementation delay, the US government will conduct robust outreach to stakeholders, aid providers, and partners who are crucial to facilitating humanitarian assistance and the commercial import of critical commodities in Yemen.
“The Department of the Treasury is also publishing licences authorising certain transactions related to the provision of food, medicine, and fuel, as well as personal remittances, telecommunications and mail, and port and airport operations on which the Yemeni people rely.”
In addition, US Central Command has also conducted strikes against 14 Houthi missiles at over a dozen locations on 18 January.
“This morning, US Central Command forces conducted defensive strikes on two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the southern Red Sea, said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, speaking at a news conference at the Pentagon on 18 January.
“These missiles on launch rails presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region and could have been fired at any time,” she said.
“The US and the international community call on the Houthis to cease their unlawful attacks on commercial shipping vessels and to respect the international community’s right to freely and safely navigate international waters.”
The defensive strikes, carried out by Navy F/A-18 attack aircraft were taken because of the threat of imminent attack by the Houthis, to protect freedom of navigation and degrade the Houthis capabilities, she said.
