Trump ordered the Houthis to be added to the list of terrorist organizations.

According to a statement published on the White House website, the Houthis, "backed by the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which arms and trains terrorists globally, have attacked American military ships dozens of times since 2023, endangering the lives of American servicemen."

This refers to a campaign initiated by the Houthis, who control parts of Yemen, including its capital, Sana'a, following the outbreak of hostilities in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The Houthis began targeting or seizing vessels associated with Israel and its allies, including American military ships that arrived in the Middle East to protect shipping lanes. The U.S. and its allies have retaliated by striking Houthi bases.

Trump's declaration marks the beginning of a formal process to designate the Houthis as a terrorist organization, similar to groups such as "Al-Qaeda," ISIS, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Likely, the Houthis will be officially listed within 45 days.

The Yemeni group had previously been on this list during Trump's first term; however, the Biden administration removed them, fearing that labeling the country's de facto leaders as terrorists would hinder humanitarian aid delivery to Yemen. In January 2024, the Biden administration included the Yemeni Houthis in the global list of organizations supporting terrorism, which is a less severe measure than recognizing the organization as an international terrorist group.

Commentators note that the Trump administration's decision could be the first step in a campaign to exert "maximum pressure" on Iran, which supports the Houthis with money and weapons.

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