The United States is designating the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday, after the Houthis are believed to be behind several recent attacks on oil tankers and oil facilities in the Middle East. The U.S. Department of State will notify Congress it will designate Ansarallah—also referred to as the Houthis—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on January 19, Secretary Pompeo said. This would be the last day in office of the Trump Administration, which has been increasing pressure on Iran during its term. “These designations will provide additional tools to confront terrorist activity and terrorism by Ansarallah, a deadly Iran-backed militia group in the Gulf region. The designations are intended to hold Ansarallah accountable for its terrorist acts, including cross-border attacks threatening civilian populations, infrastructure, and commercial shipping,” Secretary Pompeo said in a statement. “Terrorist designations […]