Worthy Christian News > World News > White House Considers Re-Designation of Yemeni Houthis as Terrorist Group

White House Considers Re-Designation of Yemeni Houthis as Terrorist Group

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The White House is considering whether to re-designate the Iran-backed Houthi militant group in Yemen as a terror organization after President Biden removed it from the US Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist list shortly after his inauguration in 2021, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.

The Houthi (Supporters of God) movement is an Islamic political and armed group that originated with the Yemeni governorate of Saada in the 1990s. With an overarching anti-US and anti-Israel standpoint, the Arab Houthi movement purports to be working for an end to the political marginalization of Zaidi Shia Muslims.

The Houthis have sprung to prominence recently as they determined to join the Hamas Palestinian terror group in its ongoing war against Israel by firing rockets targeting Israeli civilians and by hijacking an Israel-affiliated ship in the Red Sea.

In a statement, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the US review of the Houthi designation followed “recent targeting of civilians by the Houthis” and “piracy of a ship in international waters.” Kirby added: “The Houthis ought to release that ship immediately as well as the crew, and unconditionally.”

Biden originally removed the Houthis’ terrorist listing after humanitarian groups said the designation was impeding the supply of critical aid to Yemeni civilians in the war-torn, desperately poor West Asian country, TOI reports.