The US military launched further missile strikes against Houthi militants on Wednesday, hours after the US government designated the Yemeni rebels a terrorist organization and the group continued its own missile attacks on transport ships in the Red Sea.
Wednesday's airstrike was the fourth against the group in recent days, also targeting Houthi military facilities and headquarters in Yemen, according to the Associated Press.
The Houthis have attacked several civilian cargo ships with missiles in recent weeks, including several U.S.-owned vessels and a U.S. Navy vessel. The most recent incident was on Wednesday against the US-owned M/V Genco Picardie in the Gulf of Aden.
The Biden administration on Wednesday designated the Houthis a Specially Designated Terrorist Organization and imposed sanctions aimed at blocking funding and support for the group.
Former President Trump designated the organization a different label, a foreign terrorist organization, in 2021, but that designation was later rescinded by President Biden, citing the need for humanitarian aid amid Yemen's decade-long civil war. Ta.
The Biden administration is also ramping up pressure on Iran, which has long supported the Houthis militarily and financially. A senior government official told The Hill that the designation of the Houthis was a direct response to attacks on ships.
“Let me be clear: We have taken this action because the Iranian-backed Houthis continue to attack the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,” the official said. .
“The ultimate goal of sanctions is to persuade the Houthis to de-escalate and make positive changes in their behavior. If the Houthis cease their attacks, we could consider removing this designation.”
The designation will go into effect next month, and the Biden administration added that it is considering adding a “strong humanitarian carve-out” to the group's designation.
An estimated 22 million people, half of them children, depend on humanitarian aid in Yemen, one of the world's poorest regions due to civil war.
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