Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein released the following statement:

In recent days and months, the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi terror group (a.k.a Ansar’Allah) has escalated its terror activities and severe threats against American forces and interests, international shipping, worldwide economies, Israel and other U.S. allies in the region. It’s long past time for the Biden-Harris administration to immediately re-list the Houthis as a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) so that strong sanctions can be imposed against the Houthis and those who enable them. The Biden-Harris administration also needs to strengthen its military actions against this severe threat. 

The former Trump administration placed the Houthis on the U.S. FTO and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Group (SDGT) lists. However, on February 16, 2021, less than a month after taking office, the Biden-Harris administration, via Antony Blinken, revoked the Houthis’ FTO and SDGT designations, over the objections of America’s Middle Eastern allies. As ZOA previously pointed out, Blinken’s removal of the Houthis from the FTO and SDGT lists caused the removal of accompanying sanctions – and was a mistake that strengthened the Houthis’ ability to attack U.S. interests, allies and international shipping. Early this year, on January 17, 2024, the Biden-Harris administration was forced to take the partial measure of relisting the Houthis as an SDGT, which enabled imposition of some limited sanctions. But the administration has still failed to relist the Houthis on the far more effective FTO list. 

ZOA also calls on the Senate to finally pass the “Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act” (S.3192), which requires the Secretary of State to re-designate the Houthis as an FTO within 90 days. The House of Representatives passed the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act (H.R. 6046) in a bipartisan vote on April 17, 2024, and issued a major accompanying House Committee on Foreign Affairs report on Houthi terror activities in March (H. Rept. 118-404). But there has been no action on the Act in the Senate, despite the ever-worsening Houthi attacks.

The House report on the Act warns that: “According to a recent Defense Intelligence Agency report. Iran (a U.S.-designated State Sponsor of Terrorism) and Hezbollah (a U.S.- designated FTO) have played a critical role in helping advance Houthi military capabilities, turning the Houthis into a well-armed, relatively sophisticated fighting force. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah commanders have embedded themselves in strategic Houthi military institutions and have commanders on the ground advising the Houthis with critical intelligence, planning, and targeting support. Iran provides the Houthis with everything from precision guided missiles to long range drones, while also helping grow the Houthis’ own indigenous production capabilities.”

The Houthi’s recent dangerous activities and threats include:

• On August 8, the Houthis’ military, spiritual and political leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi (a.k.a Abu Jibril) stated that the Houthis will coordinate in any joint action against Israel by the so-called “Axis of Resistance” (Iran and its terror proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Iraqi militias, etc.). Al-Houthi further warned today that attacks on Israel are “on the way.”

• Yesterday , the Houthis launched a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) that exploded close to a ship in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. In recent months, the Houthis have targeted more than 70 vessels with missiles and drones, killing four sailors. 

• On August 7, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed that Houthi missiles struck two U.S. destroyers, USS Cole and USS Lassen, and an Israel-bound Liberia-flagged container ship, Contship Ono. Reuters reported that the Houthis’ claims that these missile attacks succeeded are uncorroborated, but that the Houthis have in fact “carried out repeated drone and missile strikes on ships in the crucial shipping channels of the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023.” 

• On August 5, 2024, Houthi missiles hit and damaged the container ship Groton, which was traveling from the UAE through the Gulf of Aden en route to Saudi Arabia.

• On August 5, 2024, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces announced that, during the previous 24 hours, CENTCOM destroyed three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over the Gulf of Aden. CENTCOM added that Houthi weapons present “a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region” and that the Iranian-backed Houthis’ “reckless and dangerous behavior” “continues to threaten regional stability and security.”

• On Friday night, July 19, 2024, a Houthi attack using a long-range Iranian-made drone killed one Israeli civilian and injured 10 other Israeli civilians in the center of Tel Aviv, just one block from the U.S. Consulate. Three other Houthi drones and a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at Israel the same night were intercepted.

• In June 2024, the Houthis attacked, killed a crew member and sank the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned-and-operated commercial carrier ship Tutor in the Red Sea, using two explosive-laden drone boats that hit the both sides of the ship. 

• On March 6, 2024, a Houthi missile attack killed three crew members and wounded four other crew members on a commercial ship, True Confidence, set the ship and its cargo ablaze, and caused the surviving crew members to have to abandon the vessel.

• On February 19, 2024, Houthi anti-ship missiles hit the Rubymar, a cargo ship carrying fertilizer, causing the ship to later sink, leading to tremendous environmental damage in addition to the economic damage to all international shipping. 

• In January 2022, the Houthis seized an Emirati ship in the Red Sea, and killed three people in a drone attack against the international airport and fuel depot in Abu Dhabi, UAE. 

• On November 19, 2023, Houthis terrorists with professional military training (believed to be from Iran) seized the Israeli-linked cargo ship Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea, in a helicopter-borne assault. An Iranian cargo vessel was suspected of spying on the ship to assist the Houthis’ assault and hijacking of the vessel. The Houthis are still holding the Galaxy Leader’s 25 crew members hostage, including three crew members who were hospitalized with malaria symptoms, despite international calls for the crew members’ release.

• Since October 2023, Houthi cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones have targeted southern Israel. Most have been intercepted by Israel’s aerial defenses. Houthi drones hit parts of Eilat, Israel, including a naval base. 

• On October 27, 2023, a Houthi missile likely targeting Israel hit the Egyptian town of Taba, neighboring Eilat, injuring six people. 

• The Houthis have fired on U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, and reported shooting down seven Reaper drones (including in November 2023, February 2024, April 2024, two in May 2024, and a few days ago). Each drone costs approximately $30 million. 

• Since November 2023, Houthi attacks have disrupted the $1 trillion flow of goods passing through the Red Sea corridor.

• Yesterday, Vice Admiral George Wikoff, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said that the U.S. Navy’s counter-Houthi mission will not be enough on its own to stop the Houthis from attacking vulnerable merchant ships, and that different kinds of effort are also required to apply pressure on the Houthis. The inadequacy of U.S. military efforts to stop the Houthis is despite the fact that since November, U.S. forces have launched roughly 800 missiles and seven rounds of air strikes against the Houthis. Re-designating the Houthis as an FTO and imposing the accompanying required sanctions can help apply needed pressure. Vice Adm. Wikoff further noted that the Houthis have diversified their weapons supply chain. This renders the FTO designation even more needed.

Cong. Ritchie Torres letter to Secretary Blinken: 

ZOA thanks Congressman Ritchie Torres for his letter encouraging President Biden to relist the Houthis as an FTO, sent on July 19, 2024 (the same day that a Houthi drone attack killed and injured Israelis in central Tel Aviv, one block from the U.S. consulate). 

Rep. Torres also asked Secretary Blinken to answer vital questions, that ZOA and all Americans need the answer to, including: What is Blinken’s rationale for not listing the Houthis as an FTO? What further actions is the U.S. considering taking to bolster national security in the region in light of the Houthi drone and missile launches? And what actions is the U.S. taking to ensure that the Houthis do not obtain more advanced military resources, such as those used to hit Tel Aviv?