U.S. to Remove Yemen's Houthis from Terror List on Feb.16

Late Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that he will remove the "Ansar Allah" movement in Yemen (better known as Houthis) from the list of foreign terrorist organizations as of February 16th.

In a statement, Blinken said that the decision came in recognition of "the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Yemen."

He also added that the US is closely monitoring the activities of the Houthis and is working to "define" new targets to be hit with sanctions, especially those responsible for attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and for missile attacks on Saudi Arabia.

On Thursday, Blinken and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud discussed diplomatic efforts to end the war in Yemen.

They also tackled joint efforts to bolster Saudi defenses against attacks on the kingdom,  according to a statement issued by the US Department of State.

On Wednesday, the US condemned the Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport and blasted the Iran-backed militia for prolonging the war in Yemen.

“We condemn the Houthi attack today at the Abha International Airport, a Saudi Arabian civilian airport. The attack coincides with Special Envoy Lenderking’s first trip to the region,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at the White House.

Psaki was responding to a question from Al Arabiya, saying: “The Houthis, meanwhile, continually demonstrate a desire to prolong the war by attacking Saudi Arabia, including attacks on citizens.”

The Arab Coalition said on Wednesday a drone targeted Abha international airport, and a plane which was on the ground at the time caught fire. The Houthis later claimed the attack.