MUAMMAR AL ERYANI, YEMENI MINISTER OF INFORMATION, CULTURE AND TOURISM
The world faces a growing terrorist threat from the Iran-backed Houthi militia group, which is spreading chaos in the region as it attempts to expand its political and military influence by targeting global trade, energy supplies and the interests of major powers.
The Yemeni government and countries in the region have been alerting the world about the threat the Houthi militia poses to peace and security in Yemen, the region and the world since its coup in 2014. However, these warnings were not taken seriously for years, until the world felt the impact from the wave of terrorist attacks the militia began launching in November 2023, targeting commercial ships and oil tankers in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden.
By carrying out these attacks, the Houthis violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as international humanitarian law.
These attacks are not new. In 2016, the Houthis fired missiles at a United States Navy vessel near Bab el-Mandeb, used unmanned boats to attack the Red Sea city of Mocha in 2017, attacked Saudi Arabian ships in the port of Hodeidah in 2018, and targeted the ports of Al-Nashima in Shabwa Governorate and Al-Dhabah in Hadhramaut Governorate. They also targeted an oil tanker in Qanat oil terminal in Shabwa in mid-November 2022, and indiscriminately laid hundreds of sea mines in territorial waters. The Houthis have expanded operations by using explosive boats and drones, prompting international shipping companies to take costly precautionary measures.
Since November 2023, according to The Associated Press, the Houthis have carried out more than 90 attacks on commercial ships and oil tankers, causing major disruptions in international shipping and increased insurance and freight fees, besides exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where the United Nations says more than 60% of the population is below the poverty line and about 80% need humanitarian emergency assistance to survive.
As they implement an Iranian agenda to destabilize the region and target international interests, Houthi terrorist activity has become a constant threat to shipping lanes and a direct menace to global peace and security, given the importance of the region the militia controls. The Houthis’ control of strategic areas such as the Bab el-Mandeb, a vital artery for the global economy through which more than 12% of global trade passes, gives Iran an unprecedented advantage to control two vital straits.
Iran already poses a threat to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil supplies pass. If the Houthis continue to harass shipping in Bab el-Mandeb, then Iran would threaten more than 32% of global trade and oil. This would force an increase in maritime insurance costs and global oil prices, disrupt trade between Asia and Europe, threaten global supply chains, and increase political and military tensions in the region.
The Houthi militia did not become a global threat in a vacuum. It did so with direct support from Iran, which provided the group with advanced military technology, ballistic missiles and drones. The Houthis now possess an arsenal of ballistic missiles that can reach several countries in the region. They have already used Iranian-made drones to carry out strikes on civilian and military targets.
Supported by Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah, the Houthi militia has been transformed from a local armed group to a strong military organization carrying out operations that stretch far beyond territories it controls, a report published by the U.N. shows.
Reports published by the U.N. and countries such as the United States have confirmed Iran’s involvement in arming the Houthis in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2216. This resolution condemns arming the Houthis and gives countries the legal framework to designate them as a terrorist group.
International complacency regarding the Houthi militia in recent years has allowed it to develop into a global terrorist organization and a dangerous threat resembling a “cancer” that has metastasized in the body of the regional and international system. This is the result of miscalculations and failure to address and deal with the danger before it escalates.
It is not an exaggeration to liken this militia to a cancer. If it continues to be ignored and urgent and decisive action is not taken now, it will spread in the body until it reaches an advanced stage. It will then become harder to control and will reach a final stage in which its eradication will be almost impossible. The cost will not be restricted to the region. Europe and the U.S. will also be affected because they rely on stable international shipping. The world will be confronted with major economic and security crises and everyone will pay the price.
The U.S. designation of the Houthis as a Specially Designated Terrorist Group in January 2024, prompted by the militia’s terrorist attacks on international shipping lanes, afforded the international community a tool to pressure Houthis to cease illicit military and financial activities. It is a tool that prevents the militia from continuing to receive support from Iran, deters its terrorist behavior and reinforces the message that there is no impunity for anyone who commits crimes against humanity.
The time has come to adopt a comprehensive international strategy to address the activities of the Houthi militia, ensure the security and safety of vital waterways, support the stability of the region, and move decisively to maintain international peace and security. The Houthi militia should be designated a global terrorist organization. Its financial, political and media resources must be dried up. Restrictions must be imposed on its trade and international relations. Sanctions must be imposed on its leaders to freeze their assets and prohibit them from traveling. Resources must be provided to the Yemeni Presidential Command Council and the legitimate government that represents all Yemenis so that it can enforce its authority and strengthen its ability to combat terrorism. The Yemeni Coast Guard must also be supported to enhance its ability to secure Yemen’s coasts.
Designating the Houthis as a terrorist organization is an important step toward protecting global security as it will enable the international community to take decisive measures to deter them, dry up their sources of funding, and force them to surrender their weapons and abandon the language of violence and terrorism and return to the negotiating table, and send a strong deterrent message to Iran that the international community will not tolerate its attempts to destabilize the region.
The Houthi militia has become a global threat that cannot be tolerated. Therefore, designating it a global terrorist organization is a decision that should not be postponed. It is essential requirement to ensure international security and the stability of global trade.
The world today is at a crossroads: It can either take decisive action or face catastrophic consequences in the near future.
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