EO 14175: Designation Of Ansar Allah As A Foreign Terrorist Organization

Executive Orders

TLDR

This executive order initiates the process to designate Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in response to their attacks on ships and infrastructure, requiring a State Department report within 30 days, while maintaining humanitarian aid channels through NGO vetting.

This executive order focuses on designating Ansar Allah (the Houthis) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

The order cites multiple hostile actions by the Houthis, including:

  • Attacks on U.S. Navy warships since 2023
  • Seizure of Yemeni population centers from the legitimate government (2014-2015)
  • Over 300 projectile attacks on Israel since October 2023
  • More than 100 attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea
  • Attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and UAE

Core directives:

  • Secretary of State must submit a report within 30 days regarding Houthi FTO designation
  • Within 15 days after the report, appropriate action must be taken regarding the designation
  • USAID and State Department must review UN partners and NGOs operating in Yemen

The order mandates identification of entities that have:

  • Made payments to Houthi members or Houthi-controlled government entities
  • Criticized anti-Houthi efforts while inadequately documenting Houthi abuses

This executive order represents a significant shift in U.S. policy toward the Houthis, potentially affecting:

  • Regional diplomatic relations
  • Humanitarian aid distribution in Yemen
  • Maritime security in the Red Sea
  • U.S.-Iran proxy confrontation

The implementation of this order faces several obstacles:

  • Humanitarian access to Yemen may be restricted
  • Complexity in distinguishing between legitimate aid and Houthi support
  • Potential escalation of regional tensions
  • Impact on global shipping and commerce

The order establishes a clear timeline for action but includes standard limitations:

  • Subject to available appropriations
  • Must comply with existing laws
  • Creates no new legal rights or benefits
  • Preserves existing executive department authorities

This executive order effectively initiates a process to designate the Houthis as terrorists while attempting to maintain humanitarian aid channels through careful vetting of aid organizations.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) (INA), it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1.

Purpose.

This order sets in motion a process by which Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, shall be considered for designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, consistent with section 219 of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1189).

Supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF), which arms and trains terrorist organizations worldwide, the Houthis have fired at U.S. Navy warships dozens of times since 2023, endangering American men and women in uniform. Since seizing most Yemeni population centers by force from the legitimate Yemeni government in 2014-2015، the Houthis have launched numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure, including multiple attacks on civilian airports in Saudi Arabia, the deadly January 2022 attacks on the United Arab Emirates, and more than 300 projectiles fired at Israel since October 2023. The Houthis have also attacked commercial vessels transiting Bab al-Mandeb more than 100 times, killing at least four civilian sailors and forcing some Red Sea maritime commercial traffic to reroute, which has contributed to global inflation.

The Houthis’ activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade.

Sec. 2.

Policy.

It is the policy of the United States 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.

Sec. 3.

Implementation.

(a) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State shall, after consultation with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of the Treasury, submit a report to the President, through the National Security Council, concerning the designation of Ansar Allah as a foreign terrorist organization consistent with 8 U.S.C. 1189.

(b) Within 15 days after submitting the report required under subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of State shall take all appropriate action, consistent with 8 U.S.C. 1189, with regards to a designation of Ansar Allah as a terrorist organization.

(d) Following any designation of Ansar Allah as a foreign terrorist organization under 8 U.S.C. 1189, the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) shall jointly conduct a review of the United Nations partners, nongovernmental organizations, and contractors through which USAID works in Yemen, and identify any entities with a relationship with USAID that has:

(i) made payments to members of, or governmental entities controlled by, Ansar Allah; or

(ii) has criticized international efforts to counter Ansar Allah while failing to document Ansar Allah’s abuses sufficiently.

(e) The Administrator of USAID shall take all appropriate action to terminate the projects, grants, or contracts identified under subsection (e) of this section as appropriate.

Sec. 4.

General Provisions.

(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

© This order is not intended to and does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,

January 22, 2025