U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan and a group of colleagues have renewed their call for the Biden administration to re-designate the Iranian-backed Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). This appeal follows recent attacks in the Red Sea, including those on American naval assets.
The letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken was signed by Senators Marco Rubio, Roger Marshall, Marsha Blackburn, and Mike Braun. The same senators had previously sent a similar request in May.
In their communication, the senators emphasized that “in the last two months, the Houthis have fired cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones against an array of targets,” including U.S. naval assets and cities in Israel. They also noted incidents such as the seizure of an Israeli-linked cargo ship on November 19 and drone attacks near Egypt on October 27.
“The Houthis should not be allowed to continually jeopardize the lives of American service members, our regional partners and allies, and innocent civilians,” they stated.
The senators argue that these actions highlight the Houthis as a destabilizing force backed by Iran. They urge reconsideration of Ansarallah’s FTO and SDGT status due to their aggressive behavior.
