Shaky decision, shaky hand: Biden cancels designation of Houthis as terrorist group

Nora Bandari

Since the new US administration headed by Joe Biden took over the reins of the White House, the new president has issued and canceled many decisions taken by his predecessor Donald Trump. On February 6, 2021, American sources announced that the Biden administration was considering canceling the government’s classification of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia as a terrorist group, fearing a worsening of the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

The decision to classify the Houthi as a terrorist group was taken by Trump at the end of his presidency in mid-January 2021, despite the opposition of the Houthis, Iran and international organizations at the time. American sources indicated that the Biden administration officially informed Congress of the intention of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to remove the Houthis from the terrorism list.

A US State Department official stated that Washington fears the classification will prevent humanitarian aid from reaching the Yemeni people, saying, “Our work is entirely due to the humanitarian consequences of this classification from the previous administration, which the United Nations and humanitarian organizations have made clear since then will cause the worst humanitarian crisis in the world,” according to Reuters.

Iranian and Houthi welcome

The US administration’s decision to remove the Houthis from the terrorist list triggered many reactions among supporters and opponents. One of the first to welcome this decision was indeed the militia and Iran, as Abdul Ilah Hajar, advisor to the head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, considered Washington’s declaration to remove the militia from the list as an advanced step, while the Iranian regime considered the decision to be a step towards correcting the mistakes of the past.

Hajar said that canceling the classification is an advanced step in the direction of peace, because if the administration is keen to achieve peace, then the special envoy appointed by Biden must move, and if he wants to move, he must act with all parties, AFP reported.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that all decisions made by Biden during the current period are nothing but a step to end the Yemeni war that has gone on for six years, and this will only occur with agreement from all countries present in Yemen.

It should be noted that Iran had previously announced its rejection of the decision to classify the Houthis as a terrorist group, and the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman considered at the time that the Trump administration’s decision to classify the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization as an expression of the bankruptcy of the Trump administration.

American rejection

However, Republican Senator Tom Cotton announced his rejection of Biden’s decision to remove the Houthi militia from the terrorist list, as the new US administration is following the steps of former President Barack Obama’s administration, working to appease Iran. He noted that the Houthis are using Iran’s missiles not only to disrupt international trade, but also to attack humanitarian aid provided to Yemen.

US courtship of Iran

Regarding the impact of this decision on the relationship between Biden and Iran and Washington’s return to the nuclear agreement, Dr. Masoud Ibrahim Hassan, a researcher specializing in Iranian affairs, said that removing the Houthis from the terrorism list represents the Biden administration wooing the Iranian regime to demonstrate goodwill and a desire to return to the nuclear agreement, as well as being a humanitarian decision to deliver humanitarian aid to Yemen.

Hassan pointed out to the Reference that Iran had gambled on the new American administration in good faith, and indeed this decision may be a sign of Washington’s return to the nuclear agreement. Despite this, there are impossible conditions set by Washington in the agreement, including restricting the role of Iranian militias in the region and ballistic missiles.

Hassan added that although this decision provides the Houthis a free hand in Yemen and also comes to appease Iran and set new American policies, it is expected that Iran and its militias will not carry out terrorist acts during the coming period to prove Biden’s goodwill.