US could remove Houthis from terror list in exchange for Red Sea quiet - report

The United States is open to removing the Ansar Allah movement, more commonly known as the Houthis, from its list of designated terrorist organizations if the Iranian-backed jihadist group ceases its attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. 

The Houthis are currently holding captive the 25 crew members of the Japanese cargo ship the Galaxy Leader, which the group hijacked in November. 

Tim Lenderking, the United States special envoy for Yemen, said to reporters on Wednesday that releasing the sailors would "show good faith" and an "intent to de-escalate" on the part of the Houthis, according to Bloomberg News.

"My hope," Lenderking is quoted as saying, "is that we can find diplomatic off-ramps." The envoy also reportedly said that the United States "would certainly study" removing the Houthis from its list of designated terror organizations, "but not assume it's an automatic thing." 

The comment is in line with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statement in November upon re-designating the Houthis as a terrorist organization. "This designation seeks to promote accountability for the group's terrorist activities," Blinken said at the time. "If the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and [the] Gulf of Aden, the United States will reevaluate this designation." READ MORE