WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Rick Scott joined Senators Jacky Rosen and Marco Rubio in a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to redesignate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). As the Houthis, backed by Iran’s regime, continue to escalate their attacks in the Middle East, this designation would impose meaningful costs on the Houthis and help limit their ability to commit acts of terrorism.

The senators wrote, “Since the misguided revocation of the Houthis’ FTO designation in 2021, the Houthis, backed by the Iranian regime, have only escalated their efforts to destabilize the Middle East. These actions include firing drones and missiles against Israel that have killed civilians, disrupting international shipping by targeting commercial vessels, directly attacking U.S. forces, and obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Yemen.”

The senators continued, “Relisting the Houthis as an FTO would make individuals or entities providing material support to the group liable for criminal prosecution and considered Tier III terrorists subject to sanctions and a travel ban, open up economic tools to target the Houthis’ weapons procurement networks and manufacturing capabilities, provide a legal right of action to U.S. victims of Houthi terrorism, and ban Houthi members from obtaining a visa or entering the United States. We therefore urge you to immediately restore the designation of the Houthis as an FTO, which would enable the United States to better target the group’s assets and financial support and hold the group accountable for committing terrorism against the United States, Israel, and our partners and allies throughout the region.”

Read the full letter HERE.

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