the Washington Post reported Thursday, the Donald Trump administration is considering designating Yemen’s Houthis a terrorist organization.
This comes as the United Nations pushed back plans to hold peace talks to end the war between the Saudi-led Arab coalition and the Iran-backed rebels.
Designating the Houthis as terrorists would make it illegal for US citizens to provide money or other material support to the group.
Observers says that It’s not clear, however, that a movement that originated in northern Yemen in the early 1990s enjoys many Western linkages.
The Houthis are believed to receive ballistic missiles and other military support from Iran, but make much of their revenue (as much as $30 million a month by some estimates) from charging duties on overland and port trade.
In this regard, a former UN consultant said: “I think it points to an overall viewpoint that if enough pressure is applied, the Houthis will start behaving the way the US, Saudis, and others want them to”.
