Under the Biden Administration, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have effectively taken over the country, have significantly escalated their activities, culminating in a dramatic increase in their aggressive activities. They recently carried out an attack on Tel Aviv, Israel, resulting in one fatality and at least ten people injured. The assault marks the Houthis' first deadly strike into Israeli territory, reflecting a troubling widening of their actions.
The Houthis have also expanded their offensive operations to paralyze maritime traffic, with more than 60 attacks on ships navigating the Red Sea, and have issued explicit threats against vessels travelling to Israel, further heightening tensions in the region and forcing massive disruption in commercial maritime traffic. Ships, increasingly unable to acquire insurance, are now forced to detour around the continent of Africa.
The Biden Administration played an important role in empowering the Houthis. First, it started by reversing a key policy from the previous Trump administration: shortly after taking office, on February 12, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken officially removed the Houthis' designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. This decision marked a significant shift in U.S. policy: it delisted a group that, according to a Yemeni government intelligence report, has close affiliations with Al Qaeda and ISIS, and, according to other reports, regularly commits crimes war crimes (here and here) and crimes against humanity.
The Houthis, furthermore, are significantly backed by Iran. It ensures that the Houthis remain well-armed, while the Biden Administration, in turn, keeps the Iranian regime financially supported.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member