The Executive Order sets in motion a process by
which the group known as will be designated as a Foreign Terrorist
Organization. President Trump designated the Iranian-backed Houthis as a
foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in January 2021.
The Executive Order directs the Secretary of State,
in consultation with others, to recommend the re-designation of the Houthis
within 30 days. Under President Trump,
says the White House, it is now the policy of the United States to cooperate
with its regional partners to eliminate the Houthis’ capabilities and
operations, deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on U.S.
personnel and civilians, U.S. partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea.
Following the Houthis’ re-designation as an FTO,
the Executive Order also directs the Administrator of the United States Agency
for International Development (USAID) and the Secretary of State to jointly
review United Nations partners, nongovernmental organizations, and contractors
operating in Yemen. Following this
review, the President will direct USAID to end its relationship with entities
that have made payments to the Houthis, or which have opposed international
efforts to counter the Houthis while turning a blind eye towards the Houthis’
terrorism and abuse.