Iran supports Houthis in response to classification as terrorist organization

Robier al-Fares

At a time when Jordan has refused to receive a delegation of the Houthi militia, Iran demanded from the terrorist militia more military operations, and the Belqis channel announced that Jordan had requested that the visit of the Houthi delegation negotiating the prisoners’ file be postponed due to Washington’s efforts to include the militia in the global list of terrorism.

Unnamed government sources were quoted as saying that Jordan had refused entry to the delegation of the Houthi militia negotiating the prisoners’ file because of the American decision to classify the Houthis as a terrorist group, according to Belqis.

The sources indicated that Jordan informed the Houthi side and the UN envoy’s office that it may not receive their delegation in the event that the decision to classify them as a terrorist group by the United States takes effect.

Last Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the listing of the Houthis as a terrorist organization, indicating that the blacklisting that requires sanctions against the group and three of its leaders will take effect on January 19, at the end of the administration of US President Donald Trump.

In a related context, the Saudi newspaper Okaz confirmed, citing reliable sources in Sanaa, that the militia leaders held a stormy meeting with the mullahs representative in the Yemeni capital, Hassan Erlo, to discuss the American decision to include the Houthi militia on the list of terrorist organization, and its repercussions on the terrorist group already suffering from internal crises and conflicts.

The sources reported that Erlo called on the Houthis to move quickly to escalate military operations on various fronts and to create an economic crisis in the markets before Congress approves the classification.

According to the sources, Erlo promised that his country would move through its agents in Lebanon and Iraq to launch a media and diplomatic campaign against the decision, pointing out that the militia is living in disarray, while some of its leaders claimed that they are able to carry out more terrorist operations.

An explosive device was detonated by the terrorist Houthi militia during an attempt to plant it in the Battar sector, north of Al-Dhali’, in implementation of Iranian instructions.

A vehicle belonging to the Iranian-backed militia rushed towards the site of the explosion to evacuate the wounded, under heavy and indiscriminate fire from Houthi sites towards the site of the explosion.