On Saturday, US President Joe Biden announced that the United States had conveyed a private message to Iran regarding the Iran-backed Houthi group, which has been implicated in attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Speaking to reporters at the White House before heading to the Camp David presidential retreat for the weekend, President Biden stated, “We delivered it privately, and we’re confident we’re well-prepared.” The details of the message and the nature of the communication between the two nations were not disclosed publicly.
The Houthi movement threatened a “strong and effective response” after the United States carried out another strike in Yemen overnight, further ratcheting up tensions as Washington vowed to protect shipping from attacks by the Iran-aligned group.
The most recent strike, described by the US as targeting a radar site, occurred a day after numerous American and British airstrikes targeted Houthi facilities in Yemen. White House spokesperson John Kirby explained on Friday that the initial strikes were aimed at degrading the Houthis’ capacity to store, launch, and guide missiles or drones, which the group has deployed to threaten shipping in the region. The series of strikes reflects an ongoing effort to disrupt the Houthi’s military capabilities and enhance maritime security in the Red Sea.
President Biden, whose administration delisted the Houthis from the State Department’s “foreign terrorist organizations” list in 2021, responded affirmatively when asked by reporters on Friday whether he considered the term “terrorist” applicable to the group. Despite the removal from the list, Biden expressed his belief that the Houthis fall within that category. a private message
The Houthi rebels, aligned with Tehran in the regional “axis of resistance” against the United States, Israel, and their allies, took control of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, in 2014 and currently hold significant portions of the country. The characterization of the Houthis as a terrorist group underscores the complex geopolitical dynamics in the region.