President Donald Trump issued an executive order Wednesday re-designating Ansar Allah a.k.a. the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Trump had designated the Iranian-backed Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization before his first term ended in January 2021, but the Biden administrative reversed the 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 White House said.
The executive order stipulates that it is now United States policy 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.
Per the order, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Secretary of State are to jointly review United Nations partners, nongovernmental organizations, and contractors operating in Yemen.
"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," the White House said.