US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating Yemen’s Houthis as a “foreign terrorist organization”. He signed the order on Wednesday.
The Houthis are primarily Iranian-backed armed groups. Yemen’s northwestern region is under Houthi control. The Houthis frequently attack US vessels in the region’s waters.
Signing the executive order, Trump said yesterday that the Houthis are responsible for deadly attacks not only in Yemen, but also in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates at different times.
Trump’s executive order said the Houthis’ actions posed a threat to the safety of civilians in the Middle East. At the same time, the Houthis are a threat to the security of America’s closest regional partners and to the stability of global trade at sea.