File photo of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels: The Houthi flag ( center) does not seem to leave anything up to the imagination.
Inspired by the popular slogan in Iran, “God is Great, death to America, death to Israel” Curse the Jews and victory for Islam “
President Donald Trump redesignated the Ansar Allah, more commonly known as the Houthis, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on Wednesday afternoon.
The order is among the changes in foreign policy taking place in Trump’s first week in office.
The order could require the federal government to end relationships and contracts with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that have made payments to members of Ansar Allah or criticized international efforts to counter the organization.
Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders since retaking office this week.
The order makes it official United States policy to work with allies to “eliminate Ansar Allah’s capabilities and operations, deprive it of resources, and thereby end its attacks on U.S. personnel and civilians, U.S. partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea.”
“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,” Trump wrote.
The Houthis are a political and military operation in Yemen that had been involved in the conflict against Saudi Arabia, which has received U.S. support. The two parties have been in a truce since April 2024, but Houthi rebels have continued attacks on ships in the Red Sea, including targeting U.S. ships.
Trump classified the Houthis as a terrorist group during his first administration, but former President Joe Biden revoked that classification when he came into office amid concerns the designation prevented the Yemeni people from receiving aid. Many accuse Biden of revoking the classification to punish Saudi Crown Prince Mohamad Bin Salman, over his alleged involvement in the murder of Sadi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,
The FTO classification carries additional, harsher restrictions, including immigration restrictions for members and criminal prohibitions on providing material support for the organization.
The redesignation comes after Houthi rebels signaled they plan to limit attacks against ships associated with Israel in the Red Sea amid a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, on X, formerly Twitter: “Designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization sends a powerful message that America views this group as a clear threat to our allies & partners and to regional stability in the Middle East.”
President Donald Trump, in his executive order: “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. Since seizing most Yemeni population centers by force from the legitimate Yemeni government in 2014-2015، the Houthis have launched numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will have 30 days to submit a report to Trump about the designation of the Houthis. Rubio will then have 15 days to take “appropriate” actions on the designation, after which the federal government will review contracts with United Nations partners and other NGOs.