Biden's Strong Message to Iran: Yemen Strikes and Designation of Houthis as Terrorists

President Joe Biden stated on Friday that he had conveyed a message to Iran through the airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday. He referred to the group as a terrorist organization, despite his administration's previous decision to revoke that label in 2021. "I've already delivered the message to Iran," Biden said during a visit to a coffee shop in Allentown, Pennsylvania when asked about the message. "They know not to do anything."

He stated that there will be a strong response to the Houthis and their allies if they continue their unacceptable actions. On Thursday, the US and UK militaries carried out strikes on Houthi targets in areas of Yemen controlled by the group. This was a significant action following warnings from the Biden administration and its allies, emphasizing that the Iran-backed militant group would face consequences for their attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The US and coalition forces launched over 150 precision-guided munitions at 60 targets across 28 Iranian-backed Houthi militant locations, destroying command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities, and air defense radar systems.

Several leaders in the Middle East have condemned the strikes, which resulted in five deaths and six injuries, according to rebel military spokesperson Yahya Saree, who stated that the attacks will not stop further Houthi attacks on shipping.

The Iran-backed Shia political and military group, the Houthis, have been targeting commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea with drones and missiles for weeks. The US Navy has been intercepting and taking down many of these attacks. When questioned about a potential proxy war with Iran, President Biden denied the possibility, stating that Iran is not seeking a war with the US.

When asked if he was willing to classify the Houthis as a terrorist group, the president stated that he believes they are, despite the fact that his administration had previously removed this designation but is now contemplating reinstating it.

The Biden administration, in 2021, revoked the last-minute decision made by the Trump administration to classify Yemen's Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organization. On Friday, the White House confirmed that it was reevaluating the terrorist designation for the Houthis.

John Kirby, the spokesperson for the national security council, stated that no decisions have been finalized and could not provide a specific timeline for the completion of the review process.

The Houthis have claimed that their attacks are in support of the Palestinian people, in response to Israel's ongoing military offensive in Gaza following the terror attacks by Hamas on October 7.

The Houthis insist that they will only back down if Israel permits the entry of food and medicine into Gaza. Their strikes may be a tactic to cause economic harm to Israel's allies in the hopes of pressuring them to stop their military offensive. Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict in Yemen between Houthi forces and the Saudi-backed coalition has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, including famine, economic instability, and widespread poverty.

In 2014, Houthi forces took control of the capital Sanaa, overthrowing the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government and sparking a civil war. The conflict escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition intervened to push back the Houthis, leading to a wider war.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2021, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of approximately 377,000 people. More than half of these deaths were caused by indirect factors related to the conflict, including lack of access to food, water, and healthcare.

CNNs Oren Liebermann, Haley Britzky, Natasha Bertrand, Alex Marquardt, MJ Lee and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.