US to revoke terrorist designation of Yemen's Houthi

WASHINGTON -- The United States said on Friday that it would revoke the terrorist designation of Yemen's Houthi group by the previous administration.

A State Department official confirmed to multiple media outlets that Secretary of State Antony Blinken intends to remove the Houthi group from the Foreign Terrorist Organization list.

The State Department had formally notified Congress of this intention, the official said.

"Our action is due entirely to the humanitarian consequences of this last-minute designation from the prior administration, which the United Nations and humanitarian organizations have since made clear would accelerate the world's worst humanitarian crisis," said the official.

The move came one day after President Joe Biden announced an end to US support for offensive operations in Yemen, which he called a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe that must end.

The former Donald Trump administration blacklisted the Iran-backed group in its final days in office, which led to widespread concerns over humanitarian and political consequences as about 80 percent of Yemen's population live in areas under Houthi control.

Blinken told reporters last week during his first press briefing that his team was reviewing several policy decisions by the Trump administration, with a particular focus on the designation of the Houthi group.

Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemen conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of famine.