The US reinstates the Houthi rebels on the list of terrorist organizations

2024-01-17 20:17:09, Kosova & Bota CNA

President Joe Biden's administration put the Yemen-based Houthi rebels back on the list of terrorist groups, US officials said Wednesday. It is Washington's latest attempt to curb attacks on international shipping.

Officials said the determination, which imposes tough sanctions on the Iran-linked group, is aimed at cutting off funding and weaponry that Houthi rebels have used to attack or hijack ships in the Red Sea.

Attacks by Houthi rebels have disrupted shipping in the Red Sea, fueling concerns that an escalation of the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East.

"These attacks represent what is defined as terrorism," said one of three administration officials who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity before the official announcement.

The decision to relist the group as a terrorist organization comes after US and British warplanes, ships and submarines launched dozens of strikes last week against the Houthi movement, which controls the most populated parts of Yemen.

The Houthi militia, which says the attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea were carried out in response to Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip, has threatened "a strong and effective response".

"We will continue to counter Iranian malign influence wherever we can. Now the decision to disengage from Iran rests with the Houthi movement," another official told Reuters news agency, adding that the United States could consider the possibility to remove the group from the list of terrorist organizations if the attacks on the ships were stopped.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Former President Donald Trump's administration put the Houthi rebels on two lists, designating them as terrorists, a day before the end of its term, prompting the United Nations and some US lawmakers to express fears that the sanctions would cause a disruption in the delivery of food, fuel and other goods in Yemen.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken removed the Houthi group from the list of terrorist organizations on February 12, 2021 to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen.

The United Nations describes the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as "severe", with more than 21 million people, two-thirds of the population, in need of aid. The UN says that more than 80% of the population faces difficulties to secure food, access to drinking water and health services./ VOA