US Initiates Review to Reclassify Yemen-Based Houthis as a ‘Terrorist Group’ Following Ship Hijacking

A Biden Administration official revealed to reporters this Tuesday that it has begun to evaluate a possible redesignation of the Yemeni Houthi rebels as a terrorist group following the seizure of the Galaxy Leader, a partially-Israeli-owned civilian cargo liner, over the weekend.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby disclosed during a webinar that “in light of the recent targeting of civilians by the Houthis, and now the piracy of a ship in international waters, we have begun a review of potential terrorist designations and we’ll be considering other options together with our allies and partners as well.”

The Houthis, a primarily Shia Islamist group based in Yemen, have been a major political actor and insurgency force in the almost decade-long Yemeni civil war and are widely seen as an integral component of Iran’s proxy network.

Until 2023, the Houthis military activity has been largely centered on fighting the Saudi-led intervention force in the country, but within the past year, the group has started to prioritize launching long-range missiles at Israeli civilian centers.

Although the Trump Administration moved to classify the Houthis as a “foreign terrorist organization” in January 2021, the action was almost immediately reversed by the newly inaugurated Biden White House the following month due to “humanitarian concerns.”

Kirby, in his statement, referred to Iran as “complicit to its material support, and its encouragement of the Houthi forces who conducted the seizure. Absolutely unacceptable.”

Iran has denied any involvement in the seizure of the ship.

Kirby also iterated the White House’s immediate demand that the Galaxy Leader’s crew be released “unconditionally.”