Saudi Arabia Presses the EU to Designate the Houthis as Terrorists: Most Member States Are Unconvinced, France Backs Stronger Pressure
Saudi Arabia is stepping up diplomatic pressure on the European Union to designate Yemen's Houthi movement as a terrorist organisation, Reuters reported on November 12, citing six European officials familiar with the discussions. The campaign comes as the Houthis have carried out near-daily attacks on Saudi territory in recent weeks, after the renewed escalation of a war that began more than a decade ago.
The initiative has yet to overcome European resistance. Adding the Houthis to the EU's terrorist list requires the unanimous support of all 27 member states, and only a small number back the step so far, one official said, declining to identify the countries because the talks are private. European governments fear a formal listing would close off the limited channels they maintain with the group and undermine any future peace settlement in Yemen.
The Houthis are already subject to EU sanctions, including an arms embargo and asset freezes targeting 12 of their commanders. The bloc designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Houthis' key backer, as a terrorist organisation in February, but has stopped short of listing the Houthis themselves, a step already taken by the United States, Canada and Australia; Washington designated the group a Foreign Terrorist Organization in March 2025. On October 22 the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution urging the EU to make the designation.
Saudi Arabia's government communications office did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. EU foreign policy spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said the bloc remained in regular contact with Riyadh on regional developments but declined to discuss specific diplomatic exchanges. French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said on November 13 that Paris supported stronger measures to stop the group's attacks and provocations, particularly those directed against Saudi Arabia. Joana de Deus Pereira of the Royal United Services Institute told Reuters that European governments wanted to show solidarity with Saudi Arabia but remained hesitant, and that a designation would have limited practical effect.
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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