- Houthis target US vessel
- US designates Houthis terrorists
- Yemen faces humanitarian crisis
The Houthis attacked a US vessel in the Gulf of Aden after Washington reclassified them as “global terrorists”.
The group claimed their missiles made a “direct hit” on the “Genco Picardy” bulk carrier.
The United States military reports that a drone struck the vessel on Wednesday evening.
The Houthis will be subject to a prohibition on entry into the United States. US financial institutions will be obligated to freeze their funds in light of the new designation by Washington.
The Houthi offensive in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is retaliation for Israeli attacks on Gaza.
The United Kingdom and the United States launched airstrikes against dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen earlier this month to prevent the group from targeting vessels in the waters.
A Houthi spokesperson announced on Wednesday evening that the Genco Picardy had been effectively targeted. The group planned to retaliate against “the American-British aggression against our country” with the attack.
The United States military stated that a drone launched from Houthi-controlled regions in Yemen struck the vessel. The vessel was reportedly damaged but unharmed, and it remained seaworthy.
National Security Advisor of the United States Jake Sullivan stated that the Houthis’ reclassification as “global terrorists” is a reaction to the attacks on commercial shipping in the region by the Iran-backed group.
Reversal of Houthi Terror Designation
Redesignating the Houthis is a reversal of the 2021 decision by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to remove the separatists from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist List (SDGT) of the United States.
Mr Sullivan stated in a statement that the recent Houthi attacks “exemplify the textbook definition of terrorism”. Because they have endangered US personnel and disrupted international trade operations.
If the Houthis end their Red Sea and Gulf of Aden attacks, Mr. Sullivan said the US will promptly reassess this classification.
Administration officials designated the Houthis an FTO and SDGT in the last days of the Trump administration.
This action was implemented despite cautionary advice from the United Nations and humanitarian organisations. The advice suggested that it might precipitate a severe famine in the conflict-ravaged nation of Yemen.
Mr. Blinken, the newly appointed Secretary of State, overturned the decision in 2021, around President Joe Biden’s inauguration. He referenced the critical humanitarian circumstances that the Yemeni people are confronted with.
Speaking to reporters before Wednesday’s announcement, senior administration officials defended the decision to reinstate the SDGT designation but not the FTO designation, stating that it was done to ensure the uninterrupted flow of aid into Yemen.
“The decision to revoke was appropriate,” according to one official, who further justified the action because it was taken in “recognition of a dire humanitarian situation” in the country and to prevent “US policies from impeding” the access of civilians to urgent assistance.
Addressing Houthi Threat and Sanctions
However, they conceded that the Houthi’s offensive against commercial vessels, which has encompassed the discharge of dozens of missiles at vessels in the Red Sea, has reached an “unacceptable” level.
Additionally, the new SDGT designation will prohibit American individuals and organisations from assisting the Houthis.
Nevertheless, officials were quick to emphasise that the new designation will incorporate a variety of exemptions to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian aid into Yemen, a nation devastated by a civil conflict that has lasted nearly a decade.
Mr Sullivan stated that unprecedented carve-outs and licences are being implemented to prevent negative effects on the Yemeni people. The Yemeni people ought not to bear the consequences of the Houthi’s actions.
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In November, the Houthis attacked commercial vessels in response for the Israeli military war in Gaza. Subsequently, the collective has executed dozens of assaults against commercial tankers. These tankers are traversing the Red Sea, a highly trafficked maritime route on a global scale.
On January 11, the US and UK bombed dozens of Houthi sites. With the backing of Canada, Australia, Bahrain, and the Netherlands, the assaults commenced. They started after the Houthi forces failed to comply with a demanded cessation of hostilities in the area.
Houthis React to Sanctions
Officials from the Biden administration refuted the notion that the new terrorist designation signified an admission that the air campaign might not impede subsequent Houthi assaults.
One official stated, “We view these sanctions as a component of a larger effort to dissuade the Houthis from continuing their current terrorist attacks.” Viewing our sanctions not in isolation but as an integral component of a larger endeavour is preferable.
Houthis claimed the US and UK will “soon realise” last week’s strikes were “the greatest folly in their history.
“Britain and the United States erred in their decision to invade Yemen because they failed to draw lessons from their previous mistakes,” wrote Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, on social media.
Yemen has been profoundly affected by a civil war that escalated in 2015 when a coalition headed by Saudi Arabia attempted to reinstate the internationally recognised government’s rule after the Houthis seized control of large portions of the country’s western region.
According to reports, the fighting has killed over 160,000 people and caused a global humanitarian disaster. Two-thirds of the population, or 21 million individuals, need assistance.
