Former President Biden’s alleged appeasement of the Houthis, an Iran-backed terrorist organization, is facing renewed criticism for allowing them to disrupt global commerce and destabilize the Middle East, according to Saudi and American experts.

In a speech at the State Department less than a month into his presidency, Biden announced in February 2021 that his administration was ending all U.S. offensive support for the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis, as he pledged support for the United Nations-led “initiative to impose a ceasefire,” and restore peace talks in Yemen.

A week later the Biden administration removed the Houthis from the list of terrorist groups in what then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken described as “a recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen.”

Salman Al-Ansari, a prominent geopolitical analyst from Saudi Arabia, told Fox News Digital that “Biden’s early appeasement of the Houthis, lifting them from the terror list with nothing in return, emboldened their aggression. The Houthis, an Iranian proxy, have dragged Yemen into chaos, destabilized the region, and attacked global shipping. Trump’s response is a necessary correction to Biden’s missteps, sending a clear message that piracy and terror won’t go unchecked.”

President Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend U.S. shipping assets and deter terrorist threats, according to a White House social media post on March 15, 2025. (The White House)

“These U.S. strikes have multiple benefits for the U.S.,” Schanzer added. “It’s a sign to the Saudis that we are committed to their regional security. It’s a sign to Europe that we are committed to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, which will reduce shipping costs for their companies. And perhaps most importantly, we are watching the dismantling of Iran’s ‘ring of fire’ strategy in real time. The regime is growing weaker by the day, raising questions about a possible endgame to finally take out the Iranian nuclear program or even bring down the regime.”

The Iranian regime-backed Houthis have also launched military strikes at U.S. ally Israel in response to the Jewish state’s war against the Hamas terrorist movement in Gaza.

People hold anti-U.S. and anti-Israel banners during a protest in Sana’a, Yemen, on Oct. 20, 2023. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

President Biden first authorized strikes against the Houthis in January 2024 in response to the group’s ongoing attacks on vessels traveling through the Red Sea. Biden said 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 first strikes, the Biden administration changed policy again and put the Houthis on its list of specially designated global terrorists as it looked for a way to halt the terror group’s attacks on U.S. and world shipping. 

Fox News 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.