Saudi Arabia backs US plans to designate Houthis as terrorists: Foreign Ministry

Late on Sunday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the state department intended to notify Congress of its plans to designate the Houthi movement as a terrorist organization and brand three of its leaders — Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Abd al-Khaliq Badr al-Din al-Houthi and Abdullah Yahya al Hakim — as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The UN, in turn, raised concerns over the decision since it may have a detrimental impact on efforts to resume the political process in Yemen.

"The kingdom's government welcomes the US administration's decision to include the Houthi group in the list of terrorist organizations. We expect the US' plan to put an end to the Houthis' actions and force them to come to the negotiating table," the ministry said in a statement posted on Twitter.

UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash also turned to the social network to back the US intention, adding that the coup conducted by the Houthis in Yemen and their actions towards the country's population triggered violence and anarchy, which, in turn, deteriorated the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi rebels for around five years now. The former is backed by a military coalition of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia.