President Biden’s earlier approach to the Iran-supported Houthis is being questioned for allegedly enabling them to disrupt global trade and destabilize the Middle East, according to experts from Saudi Arabia and the United States.

In February 2021, shortly after taking office, Biden announced the end of U.S. offensive support for the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis, while pledging support for a UN-led ceasefire initiative and peace talks in Yemen.

The following week, the Biden administration removed the Houthis from the list of terrorist organizations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained this decision as “a recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen.”

Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst, stated that “Biden’s initial appeasement of the Houthis, removing them from the terror list without any concessions, encouraged their aggression. As an Iranian proxy, the Houthis have plunged Yemen into chaos, destabilized the region, and attacked international shipping. Trump’s actions are a needed correction to Biden’s errors, sending a clear message that piracy and terror will not be tolerated.”

Regarding strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, Al-Ansari commented, “The strikes are overdue. The Houthis have disrupted global trade, attacked U.S. forces, and fueled instability. However, it remains to be seen how far the U.S. is willing to go in its campaign. The Red Sea and the Strait of Mandab are critical trade routes, handling over 20% of oil shipments and 13% of global trade.”

He added, “Failure to secure these routes could lead to severe economic and security consequences. While Saudi Arabia remains committed to a political solution, that requires putting serious pressure on both the Houthis and Iran. They only respond to strength, not appeasement.”

The Houthi movement’s slogan is “Allah is Greater. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam.” One of Biden’s first foreign policy decisions was to remove the Houthis from the list of foreign terrorist organizations, while the Trump administration had sanctioned them.

The Biden administration also urged Saudi Arabia to end its aerial military campaign against Houthi terrorism targeting Saudi Arabia and Houthi piracy on the seas.

Al-Ansari noted that “Saudi Arabia tried to make the U.S. understand the Houthi threat, but the Biden administration failed to support Riyadh. Fortunately, Saudi Arabia and the legitimate Yemeni government have already done most of the work, liberating about 80% of Yemeni territory. If the U.S. wants to take on the remaining 20%, they will have to do it alone. Riyadh is now prioritizing diplomacy over military action.”

Jonathan Schanzer, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, stated that “Biden politicized the Houthi issue by de-listing them. This has led Trump to target the Houthis more aggressively. Weakening the Houthis also signals to the Saudis that the U.S. is once again an ally after the Biden administration’s ambivalence.”

Schanzer added, “These U.S. strikes have several benefits. They reassure the Saudis of our commitment to their regional security. They assure Europe of our commitment to freedom of navigation, which will lower shipping costs. And perhaps most importantly, we are witnessing the weakening of Iran in real time, raising questions about a possible endgame to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program or even topple the regime.”

The Iranian-backed Houthis have also launched military strikes against Israel in response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

President Biden initially authorized strikes against the Houthis in January 2024 due to their ongoing attacks on ships in the Red Sea. He authorized the strikes “in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history.”

A week after the initial strikes, the Biden administration reversed course again and placed the Houthis back on the list of specially designated global terrorists in an effort to stop their attacks on U.S. and international shipping.

Digital reached out to President Biden’s spokesperson for comment on criticism over his administration’s policies towards the Houthis.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.