In February 2021, the Biden Administration removed the Houthis from the U.S. list of officially designated terrorists. With good intentions, the Administration hoped this signal would encourage the Houthis to reduce hostilities, enter into talks, and improve the conditions for the Yemeni people.

President Joe Biden is facing conservative criticism for reversing former President Donald Trump's decision to put the Houthis on the U.S. terror list.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the U.S. had designated the Yemeni rebel group a "foreign terrorist organization" days before Trump left office in early 2021, despite international concerns that the move could create a humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The Biden administration removed the designation one month later.