By Faisal Abu Bakr and AFP | 2023-11-22

ADEN -- Re-designating the Iran-backed Houthis as a terrorist organization will allow the Yemeni government and other states to enforce sanctions against the group and prevent it from acquiring more weapons and missiles, analysts say.

The governments of Yemen and of other nations, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have demanded more than once that the Houthis be re-listed for their terrorist acts both inside and outside of Yemen.

With the Houthis now targeting Israeli interests amid the Israel-Hamas war, international humanitarian organizations and US lawmakers have renewed calls to designate the militia as a terrorist organization.

Declaring themselves part of the so-called "axis of resistance" of Iran's allies and proxies, the Houthis have launched a series of drones and missiles towards Israel since the beginning of the war on October 7.

Last Sunday (November 19), the Houthis seized an Israel-linked cargo vessel in the Red Sea, opening a new dimension to the war.

"Israeli ships are legitimate targets for us anywhere... and we will not hesitate to take action," Houthi official Ali Al-Moshki proclaimed on the group's Al-Massirah TV station, doubling down on the group's previous threats.

The US State Department designated the Houthis as a terrorist group in January 2021 but later reversed the decision amid the announcement of a new strategy toward Yemen.

On November 8, 49 members of the US Congress addressed a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging him to re-designate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization.

The United States on Tuesday said it was considering re-designating the group.

"In light of... the piracy of a ship in international waters, we have begun a review of potential terrorist designations and we'll be considering other options together with our allies and partners as well," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Kirby called on the Houthis to "release that ship immediately -- as well as the crew -- and unconditionally."

Houthis' rejection of peace

Even before the latest spate of attacks directed toward Israel, the Houthis have continued to carry out terrorist attacks in Yemen and elsewhere in the region.

In November 2022, Houthi drone strikes targeted two commercial vessels at al-Dhaba, an oil terminal near Ash Shihr, to the east of the Hadramaut provincial capital of al-Mukalla.

And on March 17, UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a vessel attacked by automatic fire near the Houthi-controlled port of al-Hodeidah.

"It is natural that the Yemeni government would call for the re-designation of the Houthis as a terrorist group," said political analyst Mahmoud al-Taher.

"They know full well the truth about this group and its relationship with al-Qaeda and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is designated by the United States as a terrorist entity," he told Al-Fassel.

The Houthis continue to commit abuses against civilians, including planting landmines, Yemeni Deputy Minister of Legal Affairs and Human Rights Nabil Abdel Hafeez told Al-Fassel.

The international standards established to designate groups that engage in terrorist acts have led to the designation of the IRGC, Lebanese Hizbullah and Iran-backed Iraqi militias as terrorist groups, he noted.

"These standards also apply to the Iranian Houthi group," he said.

The designation of the Houthis as a terrorist group "will make it easier for us to deal with it, because this designation will lead to the imposition of an economic, military and political siege on this group," he said.

"Designating them would be a slap in the face to force them to acquiesce to the peace efforts," he added.

Houthi-Hamas connection

While the Houthis launched missiles against Israel, their actions serve only Iran's propaganda narrative, said Yemeni Deputy Minister of Justice Faisal Al-Majeedi.

"The evidence is that what was launched had no real impact on the war," he told Al-Fassel.

"Indeed, the Houthis deserve to be designated not only for their actions in the context of the Gaza war but also for their terrorist actions in Yemen," he said.

In Yemen, he said, "they have internally displaced four million people, destroyed homes, killed tens of thousands of Yemenis, and kidnapped women and children."

While the Houthis' actions against Israel may not have an impact on the Israel-Hamas war, they have spurred the international community to look again at the Iran-backed militia.

"The Houthis' involvement in the Gaza war through the launch of drones and missiles toward Israel has encouraged a number of organizations working in human rights to renew their calls to have the Houthis designated for their crimes, both inside and outside the borders of Yemen," said political analyst Faisal Ahmed.

Political analyst Fares al-Beel expressed hope that moves to censure the Houthis would push the group toward peace negotiations "because it would fear the consequences and therefore seek to obtain legitimacy."