Kochi: The US has re-designated Yemen’s Houthi movement, as a “foreign terrorist organization,” media reports quoting the White House said.
The move is in response to Houthi’s attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against US warships.
This will result in harsher economic penalties on the Iran-aligned group. It could impact anyone aiding the Houthis, including aid outfits.
“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,” the reports quoting a White House statement said.
The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, had carried out over 100 attacks on ships in the Red Sea and sunk two vessels since November 2023 to express solidarity with Palestinians and protest against Israel.
The attacks have disrupted global shipping resulting in increasing the cost of vessel operation around southern Africa for more than a year.
The move is expected to increase the suffering of Yemeni civilians, disrupting vital imports of food, medicine, and fuel, the reports quoting Oxfam America’s director of peace and security, Scott Paul, said.
The US will work with regional partners to eliminate Houthi capabilities, 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, the reports said.
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