Iran condemns U.S. "provocative" move to blacklist Yemen's Houthi group

TEHRAN, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Thursday condemned the U.S. "provocative" move of designating the Yemen-based Houthi group as a "terrorist organization."

He made the remarks in a statement published on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website, reacting to the U.S. re-designation on Wednesday of the Houthi group as a "terrorist organization," set to officially take effect in 30 days.

Including the Houthi group in the list of terrorist organizations "is a condemned and provocative move and in line with complementing the U.S. role in supporting Israel's crimes" in the Gaza Strip, Kanaani said.

He said that the U.S. unconstructive move "will fail to have any impact on the Yemeni people's determination to support the oppressed people of Gaza."

Kanaani blamed the U.S. "unlimited support" for Israel as the most important reason for the instability in West Asia and the strategic Red Sea, calling on Washington to stop backing the Israeli "war crimes" and killing of civilians in Gaza.

The Houthis have launched several attacks against the "Israel-affiliated and -bound" ships in the Red Sea over the past months, prompting the U.S. to form a multinational task force to protect shipping safety in the important global trade route. The U.S. and Britain have also launched airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response to its attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement that the designation was in response to the Houthis' continued threats to and attacks on the U.S. military forces and international vessels operating in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

He added that the decision would be reversed if the Houthis ceased their attacks.

In January 2021, the Houthi group was designated a terrorist group as the U.S. administration of then-President Donald Trump rolled out a slew of its last foreign policies. However, the designation was revoked by the Joe Biden administration in February 2021.