Saudi Arabia is urging the European Union to formally designate Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement as a terrorist organization, seeking to intensify international pressure on the group following weeks of almost daily attacks against the kingdom, according to six European officials quoted by Reuters on Thursday.
However, Riyadh's diplomatic campaign has encountered resistance from European governments concerned that such a designation could complicate efforts to negotiate an eventual end to Yemen's prolonged conflict.
The Houthis are already subject to European sanctions, including an arms embargo and asset freezes targeting 12 of the group's commanders. The EU has also designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a principal supporter of the Houthis, as a terrorist organization.
Nevertheless, Brussels has not extended that designation to the Houthi movement itself, unlike the United States, Canada and Australia, which have already classified the group as a terrorist organization.
According to the European officials, governments opposed to the Saudi proposal fear that a terrorist designation could sever the limited diplomatic contacts they maintain with the Houthis and restrict Europe's ability to participate in future peace negotiations.
Any decision to add the Houthis to the EU's terrorism list would require unanimous approval from all 27 member states.
One official familiar with the confidential discussions said only a small number of European countries currently support the proposal, declining to identify them.
The Saudi government's communications office did not respond to a request for comment.
EU foreign policy spokesperson Anouar El Anouni confirmed that the bloc maintains regular discussions with Riyadh concerning regional developments and other matters, but declined to address the specific negotiations.
Despite the reluctance among European governments, the European Parliament adopted a resolution last month calling for the Houthis to be designated as a terrorist organization.
Although the resolution does not itself impose such a designation, it reflected growing support among European lawmakers for stronger measures against the Iranian-backed group.
The debate comes amid renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis following the collapse of a ceasefire that had largely held since 2022.
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government for more than a decade, after Houthi forces seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and forced the government from power.
The Saudi-led campaign, backed by the United States, continued for years before the two sides reached a truce in 2022.
That arrangement collapsed in July after the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of bombing Sanaa airport. Since then, both sides have launched cross-border attacks that have caused civilian casualties.
The escalation has included repeated Houthi strikes against Saudi territory, including a deadly missile attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport in October.
Following that attack, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed the bloc's solidarity with Saudi Arabia.