US launches 4th strike on Houthis in Yemen

The U.S. military launched more missile strikes against Houthi militants Wednesday, hours after the U.S. government designated the Yemeni rebel group a terrorist organization and the group continued its own missile attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea.

Wednesday’s strikes are the fourth against the group in recent days, again targeting Houthi military installations and command centers in Yemen, The Associated Press reported.

Houthis have attacked multiple civilian cargo ships with missiles in recent weeks, including multiple U.S.-owned ships and U.S. Navy vessels. The most recent incident was against the U.S.-owned M/V Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday.

The Biden administration named the Houthis a Specially Designated Terrorist Group on Wednesday, implementing a sanction intended to hamper funding and support for the group.

Former President Trump named the group a Foreign Terrorist Organization, a separate label, in 2021. That was later revoked by President Biden, citing the need for humanitarian aid amid Yemen’s decade-long civil war.

The Biden administration has also bolstered pressure on Iran, which has long backed the Houthis militarily and financially. A senior administration official told The Hill that the Houthi designation is in direct response to the attacks on shipping.

“Now, let’s be clear, we are taking this action because the Iranian-backed Houthis continued attacks on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” the official said.

“The ultimate goal of sanctions is to convince the Houthis to de-escalate and bring about a positive change in behavior. If the Houthis cease their attack, we can consider delisting this designation.”

The designation goes into effect next month, with the Biden administration adding that they are looking to add “robust humanitarian carve-outs” to the group’s designation. 

An estimated 22 million people, half of them children, rely on humanitarian assistance in Yemen, one of the most impoverished parts of the world due to the civil war.