Saudis pressing EU to label Houthis as a terrorist organization, say officials

Saudi Arabia is pressing the EU to designate Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement as a terrorist organization, but has yet to overcome European concerns that this could undermine a future peace process, according to six European officials.

The campaign reflects a broader effort by Riyadh to increase international pressure on the group, which has been carrying out near-daily attacks on the kingdom in recent weeks after the resumption of war that began more than a decade ago.

The Houthis are already subject to EU sanctions, including an arms embargo and asset freezes on 12 commanders. The EU has designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a key backer of the Houthis, as a terrorist organization.

But the bloc has so far stopped short of designating the Houthis themselves as terrorists, a step that has been taken by other Western countries including the United States, Australia and Canada.

Saudi Arabia has for more than a decade led a military coalition fighting against the group on behalf of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which the Houthis drove out of the capital Sanaa in 2014.