Push comes after Iran-backed Houthis raided U.S. embassy compound in Yemen and took hostages

By Adam Kredo, Washington Free Beacon

Republicans in Congress are laying the groundwork to reapply sanctions on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels that were dismantled by the Biden administration, just days after the militant group raided the U.S. embassy compound in Yemen, where they stole equipment and kidnapped local staff.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) distributed a sanctions measure to other Senate offices on Friday afternoon and will formally introduce the sanctions language on Monday as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which the Senate is expected to take up this week, according to a copy of the measure exclusively obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. The amendment comes following months of back-and-forth between Cruz and the Biden administration on the issue, including an effort by the senator to pressure the State Department into explaining its decision to reduce sanctions on the Houthis.

In the House, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R., Ga.) is pushing similar legislation to re-designate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization in response to their siege last week of the U.S. embassy compound in Sana’a, Yemen. The measures are likely to garner widespread GOP support in light of the embassy raid, which generated outrage from Republican foreign policy leaders in both chambers. It is unclear how Democrats will vote, but Republican and Democratic foreign policy leaders both promised consequences for the embassy strike soon after it took place last week.

The Houthis, which have been running a bloody war in Yemen, were designated as a foreign terrorist organization and added to the specially designated global terrorists list in January by the outgoing Trump administration. Those designations were removed almost immediately in February, when President Joe Biden took office, with his State Department claiming the sanctions interfered with humanitarian efforts in Yemen. The Biden administration also withdrew weapons support for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition aiding Yemen’s government in the fight against the Houthis, which are armed and funded by Iran.

The Biden administration’s decision to nix sanctions on the Houthis was viewed as part of a wider effort to reopen diplomacy with Iran and cajole the Houthi militants into entering peace talks centered on ending the civil war in Yemen. Almost immediately after the Biden administration lifted sanctions, the Houthis launched a military offensive on the city of Marib, sent armed drones into Saudi Arabia, and increased their extrajudicial killings—which include attacks on civilians, journalists, and children.

The Houthis escalated their attacks on Wednesday, when they stormed the U.S. embassy facility in Yemen and reportedly stole “large quantities of equipment and materials.” The attacks followed the kidnapping of several Yemeni nationals who worked for the U.S. embassy, which ceased operations in 2015 as the war in the country spread. While Americans were pulled from the country at that time, Yemeni nationals continue to be employed for duties related to U.S. interests, including guarding the embassy grounds.

Republican lawmakers say the Biden administration’s decision to lift sanctions on the Houthis emboldened them and sent a message to Iran that increased terror strikes would not draw a tough response from the U.S. administration.

The Houthis have launched hundreds of attacks since the Biden administration removed them from the U.S. terror list. There have been at least 11 attacks just this month, including several ballistic missile attacks and the kidnapping of Yemenis who work for the United States. The Houthis carried out nearly 30 attacks in October and every other month in 2021.