Announcement by the U.S. State Department… To block Houthi rebels’ funding stream
Humanitarian aid such as food, medicine, fuel, etc. does not apply.
American media such as CNN and CNBC reported on the 17th (local time) that the U.S. government redesignated Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who continue to attack merchant ships and other ships in the Red Sea area, as a terrorist group.
According to reports, the U.S. State Department announced on this day that it would designate the Houthi rebels as ‘Specially Designated International Terrorists’ (SDGT) based on Executive Order 13224.
The measure is aimed at cutting off the flow of funds to the Houthi rebels and does not apply to food, medicine, fuel and other humanitarian aid for the Yemeni people.
“The Yemeni people should not have to pay the price for the actions of the Houthis,” a senior U.S. official said.
Once designated as SDGT, all assets are frozen and transactions with Americans are completely prohibited.
However, to give relief organizations and Yemeni residents time to prepare, the SDGT designation will take effect one month later.
The United States designated the Houthi rebels as SDGT and Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) at the end of the Donald Trump administration’s term. FTO, which also includes the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), refers to non-American organizations involved in terrorism under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
However, the Biden administration removed the Houthi rebels from both the SDGT and FTO lists in February 2021, soon after its inauguration. The reason was that this designation would interfere with activities such as relief for Yemeni civilians suffering from the long civil war.
The Biden administration also considered re-designating the FTO for the Houthi rebels, but decided to designate only the SDGT this time.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza War, the pro-Iranian Houthi rebels have been attacking ships passing through the Red Sea in support of the Palestinian armed political faction Hamas. Houthi rebels have threatened to continue attacking ships in the Red Sea until violence in Gaza ceases.
The United States formed a coalition in the Red Sea to confront the threat of Houthi rebels. On the 11th, the United States, along with Britain, carried out airstrikes on 16 Houthi rebel military facilities. Some experts warned that such large-scale airstrikes could lead to the spread of war in the Middle East, but the White House refuted these claims, saying it was in self-defense.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.