January 23, 2025 | Flash Brief

President Trump Redesignates Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels in Yemen as Foreign Terrorist Organization

January 23, 2025 | Flash Brief

President Trump Redesignates Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels in Yemen as Foreign Terrorist Organization

Latest Developments

  • Trump Issues Executive Order Redesignating Houthis as FTO: President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 22 which initiated the process of redesignating the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). The order cited the “dozens of times” that the Iran-backed terrorist organization has fired on U.S. Navy warships in the Red Sea, along with hundreds of drone and ballistic missile attacks that it has launched against Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza.
  • Motion Reverses Biden Delisting: Trump previously listed the Houthis as an FTO in 2021 during his first presidential term, a designation almost immediately rescinded by the incoming Biden administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio now has 30 days to consult with the director of national intelligence and secretary of the Treasury to formally designate the Houthis as an FTO once again.
  • Implications of the FTO Listing: The FTO designation means that the United States will now work with “regional partners” to “eliminate the Houthis’ capabilities and operations” and “deprive them of resources” in order to “end their attacks on U.S. personnel and civilians, U.S. partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea.” Additionally, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the secretary of state will conduct a joint review of “United Nations partners, nongovernmental organizations, and contractors operating in Yemen” to determine which ones have made payments to the Houthis. USAID will then end its relationships with those entities, which the Trump administration said have been “turning a blind eye towards the Houthis’ terrorism and abuses.”

FDD Expert Response

“The Houthi rebels, or Ansar Allah, are a genocidal, terrorist, jihadi militia. Their slogan is succinct and unambiguous: ‘Death to America, Death to Israel, and a Curse on the Jews.’ It made no sense for President Biden to remove them from the terrorism list. There was no chance they’d respond by changing who they are or what they believe; no chance that they’d declare a ceasefire in the war they’re waging against Israel, America, and the West. President Trump’s decision to restore their designation as a foreign terrorist organization is a realistic and a necessary step toward their eventual defeat.” Clifford D. May, Founder & President

“If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. The same is true for terrorist organizations. When you avoid calling a terrorist group what it is and instead try to legitimize it as a political movement and allow it access to funds, as the Biden administration did, you get a metastasized terror group and reap the consequences. In this case, the Houthis got stronger, and the Red Sea is under attack.” Richard Goldberg, Senior Advisor

“The Houthis, supplied and funded by Iran, have endeavored to strike the U.S. military, directly target Israel, and disrupt global trade. No organization has directly attacked U.S. military personnel without being held to account for these actions. The redesignation of the Houthis should only be the first step in a series of escalating actions to degrade this terror entity and restore security to the region. The designation should be followed by direct military action, targeted sanctions implementation, and a campaign to dismantle the Iran-backed networks that supply arms and funding to the organization.” Tyler Stapleton, Director of Congressional Relations

FDD Background and Analysis

Critical and opportune: Time to take out the Houthis,” by Aaron Goren and Enia Krivine

Why are the Houthis attacking Israel – and can they be deterred?” by Seth J. Frantzman

The Houthis are what happens when the int’l community appeases,” by Seth J Frantzman

The Houthis’ leadership structure,” by Joe Truzman

Issues:

Issues:

Iran-backed Terrorism Military and Political Power

Topics:

Topics:

Iran Israel Hamas United Nations Jewish people Saudi Arabia Joe Biden Donald Trump Yemen Gaza City Clifford May United Arab Emirates Houthi movement Richard Goldberg Red Sea United States Agency for International Development Death to America Marco Rubio U.S. Navy