On Wednesday, the Biden administration initiated a move to designate the Houthi rebels, also known as Ansar Allah, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group. This is a part of the latest efforts to cripple the group’s financial means in response to their attacks on shipping lanes in both the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
This designation will take effect on February 16. Authorities have emphasized that the accompanying sanctions will be specifically directed at the Houthi rebels. They also clarified the inclusion of significant circumventions to alleviate potential impact on the Yemeni civilians. For perspective, around 14 million people in Yemen urgently need humanitarian assistance, driven by a decade-long civil war.
The administration refrained from adding Ansar Allah to the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list, the consequence of which would have been the illegality of providing “material support or resources” to the group by any individual under US jurisdiction. Such a designation would hold far-reaching implications for financial institutions and could potentially subject any engaged parties to criminal penalties.
The designation was made in accordance with Executive Order 13224 and in consideration of the “ongoing and escalating” attacks against US military and international maritime vessels operating off Yemen’s coast. The US has lately heightened its response to these attacks with airstrikes on the Yemeni capital, Sa’ana, warranting these actions as an essential exercise of self-defense.
In response to this announcement, Houthi deputy foreign minister Hussein Alezzi publicly condemned any measures that encroach upon Yemen’s interests as a “declaration of war” and described the airstrikes as a “lifetime mistake.”
For months now, Houthi rebels have been launching attacks in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes as part of a campaign against Israel owing to its role in the ongoing Gaza conflict. Contradicting reports from international observers, the rebels claim to have only attacked Israeli or Israel-linked commercial vessels.
US officials indicated that this designation may be short-lived if the Houthi response aligns with specified expectations from Washington. They asserted, “The ultimate goal of sanctions is to convince the Houthis to de-escalate and bring about a positive change in behavior. If the Houthis cease their attacks, we can consider delisting this designation.”
Over 150,000 people have been killed in the Yemen Civil War, leaving a major portion of the country in poverty. Originating as a clan-based Shiite rebel group, the Houthi movement gained power in 2014 after taking over the Yemeni capital and most of western Yemen. A subsequent military intervention by Saudi Arabia led to a humanitarian crisis currently recognized by the UN as the largest in the world.