President Trump designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization, overturning Biden’s actions to the contrary. This is the same group that is attacking ships in the Middle East.
Here is President Trump’s Executive Order.
EXECUTIVE ORDER
DESIGNATION OF ANSAR ALLAH AS A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) (INA), it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Purpose. This order sets in motion a process by which Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, shall be considered for designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, consistent with section 219 of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1189).
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, including multiple attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia, the deadly January 2022 attacks on the United Arab Emirates, and more than 300 projectiles fired at Israel since October 2023. The Houthis have also attacked commercial vessels transiting Bab al-Mandeb more than 100 times, killing at least four civilian sailors and forcing some Red Sea maritime commercial traffic to reroute, which has contributed to global inflation.
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.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners 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.
Sec. 3. Implementation. (a) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State shall, after consultation with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of the Treasury, submit a report to the President, through the National Security Council, concerning the designation of Ansar Allah as a foreign terrorist organization consistent with 8 U.S.C. 1189.
(b) Within 15 days after submitting the report required under subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of State shall take all appropriate action, consistent with 8 U.S.C. 1189, with regard to a designation of Ansar Allah as a terrorist organization.
(c) Following any designation of Ansar Allah as a foreign terrorist organization under 8 U.S.C. 1189, the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) shall jointly conduct a review of the United Nations partners, nongovernmental organizations, and contractors through which USAID works in Yemen, and identify any entities with a relationship with USAID that have:
(i) made payments to members of, or governmental entities controlled by, Ansar Allah; or
(ii) criticized international efforts to counter Ansar Allah while failing to document Ansar Allah’s abuses sufficiently.
(d) The Administrator of USAID shall take all appropriate action to terminate the projects, grants, or contracts identified under subsection (c) of this section as appropriate.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Here are some notes regarding this order:
REVERSING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S REMOVAL OF THE HOUTHIS FROM THE FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION LIST: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order Re-Designating Ansar Allah (also known as the Houthis) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
- The Executive Order sets in motion a process by which Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, will be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
- President Trump designated the Iranian-backed Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in January 2021.
- Within one month of taking office, the Biden administration reversed the Houthis’ designation.
- As a result of the Biden administration’s weak policy, the Houthis have fired at U.S. Navy warships dozens of times, launched numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure in partner nations, and attacked commercial vessels transiting Bab al-Mandeb more than 100 times.
- The Executive Order directs the Secretary of State, in consultation with others, to recommend the re-designation of the Houthis within 30 days.
- Under President Trump, it is now the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the Houthis’ capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on U.S. personnel and civilians, U.S. partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea.
- Following the Houthis’ re-designation as an FTO, the Executive Order also directs the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Secretary of State to jointly review United Nations partners, nongovernmental organizations, and contractors operating in Yemen.
Following this review, the President will direct USAID to end its relationship with entities that have made payments to the Houthis, or which have opposed international efforts to counter the Houthis while turning a blind eye towards the Houthis’ terrorism and abuses.