The White House reversed the classification against the rebel group in 2021 in order to receive aid for war-torn Yemen.
The White House says it is considering re-designating Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a “terrorist” group after they claimed they seized a merchant ship in the Red Sea.
U.N. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby condemned the seizure on Tuesday, calling it “the piracy of a vessel in international waters” and accusing the Houthis of “recently attacking civilians.” The Red Sea is home to one of the world’s most important trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration officially delisted the Houthis as a “foreign terrorist organization” and “specially designated global terrorists” in 2021, reversing a move by former President Donald Trump. The United Nations and aid groups had criticized the designations, saying their restrictions made it more difficult to deliver aid to war-torn Yemen.
The Houthis – an Iran-backed group that controls much of northern Yemen and the capital Sanaa – have launched attacks on Israel in recent weeks, firing rockets and drone strikes and threatening to seize Israeli ships in the Red Sea.
Houthi forces raided a ship called the Galaxy Leader on Sunday. Houthi General Ali Al-Moshki said in later televised remarks: “Israeli ships are legitimate targets for us everywhere.”
The ship is operated by a Japanese company and has ties to Israeli businessman Abraham “Rami” Ungar.
The crew of this ship, consisting of 25 workers from numerous countries, continue to be held by the Houthis. Kirby called for her immediate and unconditional release and accused Iran of complicity in such attacks.
The raid, which analysts say reflects a tactic used by Iran, has raised alarm that the Houthis could step up such attacks in the Red Sea.
The group sees itself as a member of the “Axis of Resistance,” a network of armed groups across the region that are supported by Iran and hostile to Israel and the United States.
The Biden administration’s removal of the Houthis’ “terrorist” designation came to make it easier to provide humanitarian aid to Yemen, where the group has been in conflict with the government and a Saudi-backed coalition since 2015.
The Biden administration has since considered rebranding the Houthis as a “terrorist” group at least one other time after the group reportedly launched drone and missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates.