Biden Administration Counters Trump Administration’s Sanctions against Houthi Rebels in Yemen

The Biden administration took actions on January 26, 2021 to suspend the Trump administration’s recent sanctions against the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. This decision was followed closely by the Biden administration’s pause of pending arms sales to Saudi Arabia worth billions of dollars. The two actions may be early-stage indicators of President Biden’s foreign policy goals in the Gulf region and show a concern for both the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and the U.S.’s support of Saudi military operations.