EU Parliament Calls for Houthi Terrorist Designation After Attacks on Saudi Arabia
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and military escalation in Yemen. It urges the EU Council to list the Houthi group and its leadership as a terrorist organization and to cut off its funding. The resolution also backs stronger security and defense cooperation between the EU and Gulf states.
Lawmakers in the European Parliament passed the measure on Thursday. They expressed support for Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s recognized government, stressing the two countries’ safety, sovereign status and borders. Members said Houthi rocket and drone strikes and Yemen’s internal escalation breach international law and humanitarian norms, noting civilian deaths, displacement and a worsened aid crisis.
The text asks the EU Council to add the Houthis—including political and military structures, leaders and security bodies—to the EU terrorist list. It also seeks to close financing routes and freeze related assets. Parliament urged an end to Houthi hostilities and territorial aims, condemned strikes on Saudi energy sites and Red Sea/Bab al-Mandeb shipping, and backed closer EU-Gulf security ties.
The resolution may shape EU policy debate but is not itself a designation. If the Council acts, tighter asset freezes and financing restrictions could affect entities linked to the Houthis, while banks, shippers and aid groups may face more compliance checks. Yemeni civilians could be affected if humanitarian operations become harder to finance or deliver; Gulf states and Red Sea traders may see the move as a security signal.