Reuters KHALED ABDULLAH
Under the above heading, Igor Sobotin wrote, in Nezavisimaya Gazeta, about America’s adding the Houthi rebels to the terrorist blacklist.
The article states: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision to include the Yemeni rebel Ansar Allah movement on the list of foreign terrorist organizations. This step comes as part of the policy of the outgoing US presidential administration to exert maximum pressure on Iran, which it considers a sponsor of the rebels.
Inclusion in the list of foreign terrorist organizations means, in particular, the freezing of assets in the United States and the imposition of a ban on all commercial contacts with companies or persons subject to sanctions by American citizens or companies. This endangers the entire work of international humanitarian organizations that have a presence in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. Although Pompeo promised to make some concessions to these organizations, experts doubt that humanitarian action will continue. According to the United Nations, more than 24 million Yemenis, or 80% of the country’s population, need humanitarian support.
In this regard, a researcher at Oxford University, Samuel Ramani, believes that the sanctions will further isolate the Houthis from the international community. He told “Nezavisimaya Gazeta”: “Despite the fact that Iran is the Houthis’ strongest ally and the main source of their military aid, they are still trying to maintain a wider range of partners, in the Middle East. Oman, Iraq, Syria, and Qatar, probably, have relations. “With the Houthis. They are also outside the Middle East, fighting for the interest of Russia and China, but Moscow and Beijing are wary of working closely with them. Sanctions will separate the Houthis from most international partners and make them more dependent on Iranian support.”
The newspaper’s guest concluded that the US decision would prevent the rebel movement from obtaining recognition of its legitimate authority in northern Yemen.
The article expresses only the opinion of the newspaper or writer
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