US redesignates Houthis as a terrorist group: What it means

As part of efforts to stop Iran-backed Houthi militants from attacking vital Middle Eastern shipping lanes, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday announced the U.S. would once again classify the Yemeni rebel group as terrorist organization — a step the State Department says will enable the U.S. to more effectively restrict the group's access to financial support.

Blinken said that the restrictions and penalties linked to the designation would not take effect for 30 days, and that the delay was designed to ensure the flow of aid and commercial goods to Yemeni civilians is minimally impacted.

«The Houthis must be held accountable for their actions, but it should not be at the expense of Yemeni civilians,» Blinken said in a statement. «As the Department of State moves forward with this designation, we are taking significant steps to mitigate any adverse impacts this designation may have on the people of Yemen.»

Blinken also made clear that the decision could be reversed if Houthis ended their assault on maritime traffic.

«If the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will reevaluate this designation,» he said.

The move marks a significant turnaround for the Biden administration, which lifted two Trump-era terror designations against the Houthis just days after coming into power over concerns the measures—including the one that was just reimposed — would exacerbate a humanitarian crisis in the country.

ABC News spoke to officials and analysts to break down the ramifications of the designation and its potential impact.

The U.S. government has a number of legal tools it can use to define foreign individuals and organizations as terrorists or supporters of terrorist activities, and each