GCC Urges Global Terrorist Designation of Houthis Following Riyadh Airport Attacks

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has formally called upon the international community to designate Yemen's Houthi militia as a terrorist group, following a series of cross-border security escalations targeting civilian infrastructure across the region.

The diplomatic call came during emergency deliberations by the GCC Ministerial Council held in Manama, Bahrain. Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from the six-member bloc—encompassing Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman—convened to address recent missile and drone strikes, including attacks that recently forced operations to halt at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

Officials emphasized that targeting civil aviation hubs and international maritime navigation poses an unacceptable danger not only to regional stability but also to international commerce and energy supply chains. The council asserted that the coordinated actions of the militia undermine United Nations peace initiatives and contravene international humanitarian law.

During the council meeting, member states renewed their collective commitment to mutual defense agreements and joint regional security frameworks. Representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman reiterated their full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, offering collective support to neutralize emerging aerial and maritime threats in the Arabian Peninsula.

GCC leadership stated that decisive international classification of the group as a global terrorist entity is vital to cutting off unauthorized financial flows, restricting illicit weapons smuggling networks, and applying maximum diplomatic leverage to protect regional sovereign territories and civilian populations.