NASHVILLE, TENN. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and several of their colleagues sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to re-designate Iranian-backed Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), as well as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT).
“In the last two months, the Houthis have fired cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones against an array of targets, including toward U.S. naval assets in the region and cities in Israel. On November 19, the Houthis seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Red Sea and took twenty-five of its crewmembers hostage. On October 27, the Houthis launched two armed drones that were downed near Egypt, including one that hit a building adjacent to a hospital, injuring six people. On October 19, the Houthis launched a barrage of cruise missiles and armed drones likely headed toward Israel,” the Senators wrote.
“We write once again urging you to re-designate Iran-backed Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), as well as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT),” the Senators wrote.
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BACKGROUND: |
- The senators sent a similar letter to Secretary Blinken in May when the Biden administration removed the terror designation for the Houthis.
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ADDITIONAL CO-SIGNERS: |
- Additional signatories include Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.).
Full text of the letter can be found here.