Lavrov: US Plan to Label Ansarullah as Terrorists Can Have Negative Impact on Yemen Situation

By Staff, Agencies

Washington's intention to label the Ansarullah as “terrorist” may have negative consequences for the Yemeni settlement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

Speaking at a press conference after meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Thursday, Lavrov indicated that he would very much like it if a political settlement in Yemen was not affected by the US move.

"But many, including representatives of the UN, are expressing fears that a negative effect may appear," Lavrov said.

Faisal, meanwhile, expressed confidence that the move would not hamper a prospective Yemeni peace settlement.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Sunday that the State Department would be adding the Yemeni Ansarullah to its list of terrorist organizations, simultaneously branding three of its leaders as “Specially Designated Global Terrorists”.

On Monday, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned that the designation would dramatically worsen the humanitarian situation in Yemen, and called on Washington to "swiftly grant the necessary licenses and exemptions to ensure that principled humanitarian assistance can continue to reach all people" in Yemen.

Ansarullah leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi decried the US move, saying Yemenis "don't care about any designation" by Washington, and calling the Trump administration a "partner in killing Yemenis and starving them." Al-Houthi added that the group reserves "the right to respond."

The Saudi-backed ousted Yemeni government praised the designation.