U.S. Redesignates Yemen's Houthis as Foreign Terrorist Organization

The move reinstates sanctions and penalties, citing threats to global trade and regional security after years of escalating attacks.

The U.S. State Department officially restored the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation for Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, fulfilling an executive order by President Donald Trump in January 2025.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the Houthis' attacks on over 100 commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since 2023, targeting U.S. and allied ships while sparing Chinese-flagged vessels.
The designation imposes sanctions and penalties on anyone providing material support to the Houthis, aiming to disrupt their financial mechanisms with a $15 million reward for actionable information.
The Houthis have been accused of threatening global maritime trade, launching missiles and drones at civilian and military targets, and escalating regional instability since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in late 2023.
Critics of the move, including humanitarian organizations, warn that the designation could complicate the delivery of aid to Yemen, which remains in the grip of one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.