Saudi Arabia pressures EU to designate Houthis as terror group, Europe concerned over peace process

Saudi Arabia is pressing the EU to designate Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement as a terrorist organization, but has yet to overcome European concerns that this could undermine a future peace process, according to six European officials.The campaign reflects a broader effort by Riyadh to increase international pressure on the group, which has been carrying out near-daily attacks on the kingdom in recent weeks after the resumption of war that began more than a decade ago.The Houthis are already subject to EU sanctions, including an arms embargo and asset freezes on 12 commanders. The EU has designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a key backer of the Houthis, as a terrorist organization.But the bloc has so far stopped short of designating the Houthis themselves as terrorists, a step that has been taken by other Western countries including the United States, Australia, and Canada.Saudi Arabia has for over a decade led a military coalition fighting against the group on behalf of Yemen's internationally recognized government, which the Houthis drove out of the capital Sanaa in 2014.Europe worries Houthi terror designation would undermine future peace processEuropean countries worry that listing the Houthis as a terrorist group would close off the limited channels they maintain with the group and potentially undermine any European involvement in a future peace process in Yemen, the six…