Washington to label Houthis terrorist organization

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he plans to designate Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organization.

On Sunday, Mr Pompeo announced that he was proceeding with the designation of the Houthis, also known as Ansarsallah, along with separate terrorist designations of three senior rebel leaders.

"These designations will provide additional tools to confront terrorist activity and terrorism by Ansarallah, a deadly Iran-backed militia group in the Gulf region," he said.

The designations are intended to hold Ansarallah accountable for its terrorist acts, including cross-border attacks threatening civilian populations, infrastructure, and commercial shipping.

The decision will have several direct and indirect negative effects on the Houthi Movement, notably confusing its political situation, which it achieved over the past years. Washington's decision will impose burdens on the Houthis’ formal and informal relations and weaken its alliances.

Violent activity by the Houthis has consisted mainly of armed rebellion against the Yemeni government, leading to clashes with security forces. Thousands have been killed and displaced as a result of the fighting. 

In October 2016, the rebels took direct action against the United States by conducting a series of failed missile attacks against the U.S. Navy presence in the region. The Houthis had previously kidnapped several American citizens, including a teacher, journalist, humanitarian aid worker. 

U.S. ships are not the only vessels the rebels have targeted. Prior to the attacks on the U.S. Navy, a UAE civilian ship was damaged by Houthi missiles that same month. 

Starting in 2017, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones, and have ramped up strikes in 2019, often targeting Saudi airports and oil fields.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates designated the Houthis as a terrorist group in 2014. In the same year, the U.N. Security Council designated “Abd al-Khaliq al-Huthi and Abdulmalik al-Houthi as terrorists.