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JV Editorial: The Houthis Are Terrorists — And It’s Time to Treat Them That Way
The Trump administration’s decision to re-designate the Iran-backed Houthi militia as a foreign terrorist organization is not only justified—it is long overdue. This move corrects one of former President Biden’s most disastrous foreign policy errors: his reckless decision in February 2021 to remove the Houthis from the U.S. terror list in a naïve and futile attempt to placate Iran. The results of Biden’s appeasement are now painfully clear: an emboldened Houthi force wreaking havoc across the Middle East, attacking U.S. and allied forces, destabilizing global trade, and openly declaring its genocidal intentions.
The Houthis are not subtle about their ideology. Their official slogan, chanted at rallies and emblazoned on banners, is a blood-curdling incantation of violence: “God is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse be upon the Jews, Victory to Islam.” The former Biden administration heard this hate speech and decided to reward it with leniency.
Worse still, Biden’s decision was coupled with another catastrophic policy shift: ending U.S. support for Saudi-led efforts to defend Yemen’s internationally recognized government. This emboldened the Houthis, allowing them to seize more power in Yemen while further integrating into Iran’s axis of terror alongside Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Tehran-backed proxies.
Predictably, Biden’s strategy of appeasement failed. Just as Hamas launched its war of annihilation against Israel in October 2023, the Houthis followed suit—this time attacking not just Israel, but also U.S. and allied forces.
In November 2023, the Houthis escalated from being a regional threat to a direct enemy of the United States. They shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone and hijacked a British vessel in the Red Sea. Since then, their campaign of aggression has intensified, with sophisticated Iranian-supplied missiles and drones targeting U.S. warships, commercial vessels, and allies in the region.
The results have been catastrophic. Red Sea trade has collapsed and commercial shipping traffic is down by half in 2024, causing global supply chain disruptions and spiking inflation. The U.S. Navy is overstretched and as such is operating at a pace unseen since World War II, desperately intercepting Houthi attacks. Shipping insurance costs have skyrocketed which has forced businesses to re-route around Africa, driving up costs and threatening economic stability.
Yet, the Biden administration continued dithering, prioritizing humanitarian concerns over national security. It argued that re-designating the Houthis as terrorists would complicate aid deliveries—ignoring the fact that even the United Nations suspended humanitarian operations in Houthi-controlled areas after the group took aid workers hostage in January 2024.
Meanwhile, the same UN that halted aid to Yemen has been conspicuously silent about the Israeli hostages suffering in Hamas-controlled Gaza. The hypocrisy is stunning.
The re-designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization under U.S. law is a critical step—but it is not enough. Labels do not stop missiles, and sanctions alone will not deter terrorists who are armed and funded by Iran’s deep pockets.
The next logical step is clear: crushing military action.
President Trump must do what Biden never would—deliver a devastating military response the next time the Houthis attack an American ship. Playing defense has not worked. U.S. Navy vessels should not be left as sitting targets while terrorist thugs in Yemen continue launching Iranian-made drones and missiles with impunity.
The United States should break the Red Sea blockade with overwhelming force, dealing a decisive blow to the Houthis that not only secures global trade routes but also sends a clear message to Iran: The era of American weakness is over.
Biden’s policies have made the world more dangerous, empowering terrorists and emboldening America’s enemies. President Trump understands that strength—not appeasement—is the only language these adversaries respect. A bold military strike against the Houthis would not only protect U.S. interests but also restore American deterrence in a world that, under Biden, had become dangerously unmoored.
It is time to stop playing defense. It is time to win.
