US plans to Recognize Yemeni Houthis as Terrorist Organization

Monday, January 11, 2021. During his term, Trump made several proposals to the Yemeni Houthi militia as a foreign terrorist organization. The move was against pressure from Iran as it is backed by the group, which has plunged Yemen into political turmoil and a dire humanitarian situation. Earlier this week, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was planning to recognize the separatist Houthi terrorist organization.

The move was interpreted by Pompeo as limiting Iran's influence in the region and the Houthi crisis in Yemen. He said they should be held accountable for their actions and attacks in the region, including cross-border attacks that threaten civilians, infrastructure, and commercial goods transfer.

The Houthis are a separatist group fighting in Yemen with Iranian-funded Shiite ideology? Since the assassination of the Yemeni President, they have plunged the country into chaos, displacing millions of Yemenis. They killed hundreds of Yemeni children. It has made Yemen's economy one of the worst in the world. They carry out a series of attacks in Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries. They have the primary support of the Iranian regime.

Pompeo also said the aim was to help advance efforts to end the conflict in Yemen, which began in late 2014 when the Houthis took control of the Yemeni capital and expanded in early 2015 with the start of the Saudi alliance led to ousting the Yemeni rebels.

Yemen is facing a dire humanitarian situation. People are facing widespread famine and malnutrition in Yemen. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a December report that an estimated 233,000 people, including 131,000, were affected by indirect causes such as lack of food and medical services, as a result of the ongoing war in Yemen and the Houthi invasion.

Pompeo said the State Department would tell Congress to recognize the Houthi organization as a terrorist organization. He also said that three of the leaders of the group, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Abd al-Khaliq Badr al-Din al-Houthi, and Abdullah Yahya al-Hakim should be recognized as International Terrorists.

Washington has previously accused the Houthis of pursuing Iran's ambitious goals in the region and of failing to co-operate in peace efforts in Yemen.