Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar thanked President Donald Trump today (Thursday) on X for renewing sanctions on the Iran-backed Houthi forces.
In his statement, Sa'ar said that "Israel welcomes President Trump’s decision to designate Ansar Allah (Houthis) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Israel without any provocation on its part. The Houthis are an Iranian proxy that disrupts freedom of navigation, threatens global trade, and destabilizes regional stability and the global order. This is an important step in fighting terror and combating the destabilizing elements in our region."
The first Trump administration had imposed sanctions on the Houthis, but the Biden administration lifted them as part of their efforts to make positive gestures towards Iran.
This changed partially after the Houthi forces began attacking international shipping in the Red Sea and even launched missiles and drones at the US-led naval force protecting shipping in the area as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian.
The Biden administration then continued to avoid sanctioning everyone related to the Houthis, instead preferring a more targeted approach against specific persons and institutions responsible for smuggling or laundering money and arms to the Houthis to be used for terrorist purposes.
Israel also began by adopting a defensive posture towards the Houthis, hoping that the US-led naval coalition would deal with them as part of their efforts to ensure freedom of navigation.
However, following the infiltration of a number of Houthi drones and missiles into Israeli territory, Israel launched four strikes against strategic installations belonging to the Houthis, including the ports of Hodeidah and Ras Isa and the airport in Sana'a.
Sa'ar also tried to get the UN Security Council, when it was presided over by the United States, to host an emergency meeting condemning the Houthis. During that appeal, he appealed to the nations of the world to condemn Houthi actions.
0 Comments