Classifying the Houthis as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization”… Burying the Roadmap and Deepening the Militia’s Political Isolation (Report)

The terrorist Houthi militia tried in vain to beg the new administration in the White House, by announcing the release of the crew of the Galaxy Leader ship after 14 months of their kidnapping in the Red Sea, to send a message to the Trump administration that it intends to turn the page on its escalation in the Red Sea, and engage in a peace process to end the conflict in Yemen, in a desperate attempt to circumvent any American efforts to strike it, similar to Iran’s arms in the region.

This plea was expressed by the member of the Houthi negotiating delegation, Abdulmalik Al-Ajri, who linked the release of the kidnapped sailors to regional calm efforts and peace in Yemen. He called on the concerned parties, led by Saudi Arabia, to seriously engage in completing the peace efforts and the “road map.” The latter’s provisions were formulated between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militia over the past two years with support from Muscat and met most of the Houthis’ interests. Its signing was hindered by the Houthi militia’s escalation in the Red Sea in late 2023.

The militia's pleas were of no use to the new US administration, which quickly reclassified it as a foreign terrorist organization. This classification would tighten the noose on the Houthi militia and cut off any relations or communications with it by any entities, countries or organizations, which would certainly be reflected in the roadmap for a solution in Yemen.

Zeroing out the "illusion" efforts

Yemeni writer and researcher, Nabil Al-Bakri, believes that the inauguration of US President Donald Trump’s second term by reclassifying the Houthi militia as a foreign terrorist organization is an indication of a heated phase between the US administration and what remains of the Iranian axis.

He added in an intervention on the "Yemeni Youth" channel that the classification decision clearly means politically "throwing dirt on all the efforts that were previously made by the UN and American envoys and the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman in general, or what is called the "road map."

Al-Bakri explained that all the shuttle trips, discussions and understandings have become a thing of the past, and we are now facing a zero-sum political ground, adding that the new American administration has nullified all the efforts that were made to create a kind of illusion about the possibility of reaching peace with this group.

He continued: "I believe that the Houthi militia today has become naked and isolated internationally, and is facing a very dangerous reality regarding its political and military fate," noting that the Houthis did not imagine that they would reach this stage of international siege, even the Sultanate of Oman, which is hosting the Houthi negotiating delegation, will be in an embarrassing position after this classification, which contained a text that holds accountable any entity or regime that provides any assistance to the Houthis.

Al-Bakri stressed that the Houthi militia has become isolated, ostracized and besieged internationally and no longer has the ability to deal with any efforts to achieve the so-called peace.

Deepens Houthi isolation

Ibrahim Jalal, a researcher at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, also confirms that the US reclassification of the Houthis as a terrorist organization would deepen the group’s political isolation, freeze the roadmap talks, and raise the cost of economic and logistical facilities provided by some countries in the region and beyond.

He added in a post on the X platform that the new US administration was not satisfied with the recent Houthi political maneuver and chose its openness to deal with the threat in its real context as it constitutes a strategic challenge to the security of the countries of the region and international navigation.

Al-Jalal explained that the classification will expand the scope of sanctions imposed on the Houthis and their supporters directly and indirectly, and if their cross-border attacks continue, the classification paves the way for targeting the group’s leaders and capabilities more seriously, in addition to enhancing the possibilities of implementing a military operation to restore the entire Tihama coast.

🔹The United States’ reclassification of the Houthis as a terrorist organization deepens the group’s political isolation, freezes the roadmap talks, and raises the cost of economic and logistical facilities provided by some countries in the region and beyond.

🔹The new US administration was not satisfied with the recent Houthi political maneuver and chose...

— Ibrahim Jalal | Ibrahim Jalal (@IbrahimJalalYE) January 23, 2025

buried roadmap

 For his part, the head of the Sana'a Center for Studies, Majed Al-Madhaji, said that the American decision is a very strict decision and completely buries the UN roadmap.

He stated that what is very striking about this decision is that it mobilizes and punishes - in a vague text that can be interpreted broadly - any relationship with the Houthi group, including cutting off American funding to any organization that does not sufficiently document their violations, or sufficiently confront the Houthis in general.

The expected has finally happened: US President Trump has designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization by executive order instead of waiting for the bill in Congress!
What is very striking is the very strict text of the resolution that mobilizes and punishes - in a vague text that can be interpreted broadly - any relationship with the Houthi group, including severing…

— Maged Almadhaji (@MAlmadhaji) January 23, 2025

He pointed out that the decision allows the resumption of the implementation of the Central Bank's decisions to transfer banks to Aden against everyone's will, dries up resources, punishes any level of political and financial relations from any international organizations or local parties and companies with the Houthis, closes the door to politics and dialogue with them, and brings to the surface the policies of maximum economic strangulation of the group, in what appears to be a clear path to undermine it economically and politically before undermining it militarily.

Al-Madhaji stressed that this decision means "the end of a decade of opportunities that this group - the Houthis - invested in at the expense of the Yemenis."

A golden opportunity

 What Al-Bakri, Al-Jalal and Al-Madhaji said regarding the roadmap was confirmed by researcher Saif Al-Muthanna, director of the Washington Center for Human Rights and its advocacy officer in the US Congress, explaining that the decision represents the assassination of all the pillars of the roadmap.

In a post on the X platform, Al-Muthanna called on the legitimate government to move to lift the ban on purchasing weapons and prepare for an upcoming battle, noting that the United States will not provide it with more than it has already provided.

The decision to classify #Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization is an assassination of the entire pillars of the roadmap. The legitimate government must move to lift the ban on purchasing weapons and prepare for an upcoming battle. Otherwise, the United States will not offer more than it has offered!

- Saif Al Muthanna. 𐩪𐩺𐩰|𐩱𐩡𐩣ِ𐩻𐩬𐩱 (@sshiaab) January 23, 2025

In this context, researcher Ibrahim Jalal agrees with him, who stressed in his blog post commenting on the decision that if the decision is not lifted within 30 days and is part of a comprehensive strategy, “then the Yemeni government and its partners must seize the historic opportunity to impose a national project that strengthens the pillars of peace and stability in a way that reflects on the future of Yemen and achieves the aspirations of its people, enhances the security, stability and development of the region and contributes to securing international shipping lines in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”