President Trump’s decision to redesignate Yemen’s Houthi forces as a foreign terrorist organization is drawing criticism from Iran, the militant group’s patron, which called the move “baseless, unjustified, and in clear violation of international law.”

Mr. Trump formally labeled the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, as an FTO during his first administration. Former President Joseph R. Biden reversed the decision in February 2021, a month after taking office.

“As a result of the Biden administration’s weak policy, the Houthis have fired at U.S. Navy warships dozens of times, launched numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure in partner nations, and attacked commercial vessels transiting Bab al-Mandeb more than 100 times,” the executive order stated.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei on Thursday denounced the terrorist designation of the Houthis as “a move aimed at justifying inhumane sanctions against the Yemeni nation.”

“Such unilateral, arbitrary, and unfounded actions only serve to further undermine the rule of law in international relations and pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability,” Mr. Baqaei said. 

Houthi militants said their campaign in the Red Sea area was in support of Hamas operations against Israeli forces. However, many of the targeted passing ships were not involved in the conflict. 

“Under President Trump, 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,” the White House said in the executive order.

Mr. Baqaei said labeling the Houthis as a terror group is “a continuation of the previous U.S. administration’s 15-month complicity in the massacre and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.”

The executive order also directs the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department to jointly review all United Nations partners, nongovernmental organizations and contractors currently 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 abuses,” according to the White House executive order.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.