Yemen Monitor / Brussels / Exclusive:
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof revealed on Sunday a serious inclination within the European Union to include the Houthi armed group on lists of terrorist organizations.
This announcement came during high-level talks held with the Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference 2026, amid Yemeni demands for a transition from “crisis management” to “ending the threat.”
President al-Alimi met with the Dutch Prime Minister and the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief, Kaja Kallas, to discuss ways to deter escalating Houthi threats in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
During the talks, President al-Alimi emphasized that the relationship with the European Union has moved beyond the framework of relief aid to take on a strategic dimension directly linked to the security of international navigation and the stability of energy supplies. Al-Alimi called for the adoption of a new international approach based on intensifying political and military pressure, and expanding sanctions to target the cross-border financing and smuggling networks that fuel the militia.
Al-Alimi praised the European Union’s previous decision to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, stating that the Houthis represent one of Tehran’s most dangerous regional arms, and that any leniency toward them would open the door for threats to expand into wider geographical areas.
For his part, the Dutch Prime Minister affirmed his country’s commitment to supporting the legitimate government, revealing discussions within the EU trending toward “characterizing the Houthis as a terrorist group.”
This shift in the Dutch position follows the Houthis’ targeting of Dutch cargo ships previously, which prompted Amsterdam to lead a movement within the European bloc to tighten the security and legal approach toward the group.
