The Biden administration on Wednesday re-designated the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity amid continued attacks by the Yemen-based militia, Report informs, citing CNN.

Administration officials said the SDGT designation is aimed at deterring the Houthis from their ongoing aggression in the Red Sea. It is the latest in a series of US actions targeting the Iranian-backed group and comes as the specter of a wider regional war in the Middle East looms large.

“These attacks are clear examples of terrorism, a violation of international law, and a major threat to lives and global commerce, and they jeopardize the delivery of humanitarian assistance,” a US senior administration official said in a call with reporters Tuesday.

The administration removed the Houthis’ SDGT designation and de-listed it as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in February 2021, after it was designated by the Trump administration in its final weeks.