Saudi Arabia Presses EU on Houthi Terror Listing
Riyadh is urging the bloc to designate the Yemen-based Houthi movement as a terrorist organisation, while the EU has not yet done so.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Terrorism
Saudi Arabia is pressing the European Union to designate the Houthi movement as a terrorist organisation. The European Parliament recently adopted a non-binding resolution calling for the same listing, though the EU has not made the designation.
Why it matters
The EU currently sanctions the Houthis through an arms embargo and asset freezes on 12 commanders but has not listed the group as terrorist, while the United States, Australia and Canada have. European countries worry that a terrorist listing would close limited channels with the group and undermine European involvement in a future Yemen peace process.
The Houthis remain under EU arms-embargo and asset-freeze sanctions but are not designated a terrorist organisation by the bloc. Any terrorist listing would require unanimous approval from all 27 EU member states, which has not been secured.
The players
Houthi movement
An armed group based in Yemen that controls the capital Sanaa and has been fighting the Saudi-backed Yemeni government for over a decade.
European Union
A political and economic union of 27 European member states that sets sanctions and terrorist designations by unanimous agreement.
The details
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition against the Houthis for over a decade, and the group drove the Yemeni government out of Sanaa in 2014. A 2022 truce between the Houthis and the Yemeni government collapsed in July after the Houthis accused Riyadh of bombing Sanaa airport.
Timeline
2014: Houthis drove the Yemeni government out of Sanaa.
2022: A truce between the Houthis and the Yemeni government was agreed.
July 2026: The truce collapsed after the Houthis accused Riyadh of bombing Sanaa airport.
October 2026: A Houthi missile struck Riyadh's King Khalid airport.
October 2026: The European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for the Houthis to be listed as terrorists.
Legal Context
The EU has designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, but has not extended the same designation to the Houthis, which the United States, Australia and Canada have already listed. The divergence highlights the unresolved question of how the bloc treats armed non-state actors in active conflicts.
A terrorist designation would carry legal consequences for individuals and entities dealing with the Houthis across the EU. Without it, the existing arms embargo and asset freezes remain the bloc's main tools.
The takeaway
The debate shows how European governments balance counterterrorism pressure against the need to keep channels open for future peace negotiations. The outcome will shape the EU's role in any Yemen settlement.
Further reading
For background on how such listings are made, see the Terrorism section.
