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By Amira El-Fekki
Middle East News Reporter
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A senior member of the Iran-backed Houthi militant group, Ansar Allah, has responded after the United States took new measures against it, saying its operations against shipping in the Red Sea are a legitimate response to Israel blocking aid to Gaza.
Mohamed Ali Al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi-aligned Supreme Political Council, faces new sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of Treasury on Wednesday, along with six other group leaders and high-ranking members on the grounds of smuggling arms and military equipment into Yemen.
Why It Matters
The Houthis have become a major disruptor of shipping through one of the world's busiest sea lanes — pushing up freight and insurance costs and forcing some vessels to make long detours.
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Since 2023, the Houthis have launched over 100 missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, targeting American and allied ships while sparing Chinese-flagged vessels. Despite facing strikes from Israel and the U.S., the group has threatened to resume attacks if the ceasefire breaks down.
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What To Know
On March 4, the U.S. State Department designated Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing sanctions for anyone providing "material support" to the group.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said it is sanctioning seven senior members of Ansar Allah for smuggling military-grade weapons into Yemen and negotiating arms deals with Russia.
OFAC also designated a Houthi-affiliated operative and his company for allegedly recruiting Yemenis to fight for Russia in Ukraine and generating funds to support Houthi operations, according to a press release from the U.S. Treasury.
After the U.S. designation, a source within Ansar Allah told Newsweek that the group felt honored, not offended, by Trump's decision to label it a foreign terrorist organization, arguing it would ultimately harm U.S. interests.
In the final days of Trump's first presidency, the U.S. had designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization, but former President Joe Biden reversed this decision, citing concerns over humanitarian aid to Yemen. Tensions with international organizations escalated as the Houthis detained multiple U.N. staff members, and the war in Yemen continues to devastate the country, claiming over 150,000 lives.
What People Are Saying
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi on X: "Bringing materials into Gaza is more important to us than the US classification decision, which has no legitimacy. Preventing the entry of materials to Gaza and thwarting peace agreements is an ongoing act of terrorism that has no criminal basis as opposed to our legitimate and faithful support for naval operations in the Red Sea to confront the genocide and terrorism of America and its temporary entity in Gaza."
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent: "By seeking weapons from a growing array of international suppliers, Houthi leaders have shown their intent to continue their reckless and destabilizing actions in the Red Sea region. The United States will use all available tools to disrupt the Houthis' terrorist activities and degrade their ability to threaten U.S. personnel, our regional partners, and global maritime trade."
Information Minister of the internationally recognized Yemeni government Moammar al-Eryani on X: "Today, we have a historic opportunity to raise the voice of truth, and to demand stricter measures to end the terrorism of the Houthi militia in Yemen."
What Happens Next
Despite their rhetoric, the question will be whether the Houthis carry out attacks on shipping and risk a further escalation of conflict with the United States. Ansar Allah's re-designation as a foreign terrorist organization is expected to impact humanitarian groups, which have criticized the decision.
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