- Yemen: The administration designated Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist organization. The Iran-aligned group seized control over parts of Yemen in 2015, prompting an ongoing military response from a Saudi-led coalition. The UN expressed concerns related to the ongoing humanitarian effort in the region, which the State Department addressed in its announcement.
- Cuba: Separately, the administration returned Cuba to the list of state sponsors of terrorism, reversing an Obama administration decision to remove Cuba from the list in 2015. Cuba will become the fourth nation formally recognized on the list, which includes North Korea, Syria, and Iran.
Extra: The announcements mark the second and third major foreign policy actions announced by the Trump administration in the last week, following Saturday’s announcement related to US-Taiwan interactions.
