President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday re-designating the Yemen Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization.

The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, are an Islamist military and political organization backed by Iran. Mr. Trump’s executive order says it is now the policy of the United States to “to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate Ansar Allah’s capabilities and operations, deprive it of resources, and thereby end its attacks on U.S. personnel and civilians, U.S. partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea.”

Mr. Trump designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization in the last weeks of his first administration, but former President Biden removed the group from the list in February 2021, arguing that it would harm the humanitarian assistance being brought in to help the citizens of Yemen.

Mr. Biden re-designated the Houthis as a “global terrorist group” last January due to the Houthis’ dozens of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, a major shipping route.

Mr. Trump’s executive order comes as the Houthis released the crew of a cargo ship that it hijacked more than a year ago in the Red Sea. The Galaxy Leader’s 25-person crew was handed over to mediators Wednesday.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.