US expected to redesignate Yemen’s Houthis as terrorist group — sources

By Jacob Magid

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16 January 2024, 11:36 pm 3 Edit

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

A fighter, loyal to Yemen's Houthi rebels, stands guard during a protest following US and British forces strikes, in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on January 12, 2024. (Mohammed Huwais/AFP)

The US is expected to re-designate Yemen’s Houthis as a terrorist group after the ongoing spate of attacks by the Iran-backed rebels on Red Sea shipping routes, AP reports, citing unnamed sources.

White House spokesman John Kirby was asked about the matter earlier this afternoon but said the administration is still deliberating on the matter and has not made a decision.

Biden said Friday that he thinks the Houthis are a terror group, leading many to speculate that a re-designation was imminent.

But yesterday, he said, “It’s irrelevant whether they’re designated.”