Redesignation Of Yemen Houthis As Terrorist May Affect JCPOA Talks

The US has condemned a Houthi attack in Saudi Arabia. The State Department: 'The United States condemns the terrorist attack by the Houthis today that struck the commercial airport in Abha, Saudi Arabia, injuring at least a dozen innocent civilians.'

• White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said: ‘We will work with our Saudi and international partners to hold them accountable.’
• The attack is part of a recent escalation of the eight-year conflict which has seen Houthis targeting sites in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The latest attack will see increased pressure upon the White House to re-designate the Houthis a terrorist organisation. President Biden lifted the terrorist designation in 2021 to allow humanitarian aid into Yemen.
• Biden may be cautious about publicly designating the Houthi’s a terrorist organisation at a time when they are trying to extract a favourable deal from Iran in Vienna. An alteration of the Houthi designation helped bring Iran to the negotiating table.
• Last year Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said: ‘stopping support for the Saudi coalition, if not a political manoeuvre, could be a step towards correcting past mistakes.’