Yemen’s Huthis defiant as US labels rebels ‘terrorists’

Yemen's Huthis were defiant Monday after Washington said it will designate the Iran-backed rebels as terrorists, a last-ditch move under President Donald Trump that the UN and US lawmakers warned would worsen the humanitarian crisis. Unless Congress blocks the decision, the Huthis will be blacklisted on January 19 -- one day before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, whose aides had hoped to push to end Yemen's devastating six-year war. The decision, announced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, could complicate Biden's promised efforts to restart diplomacy with Iran and reassess Washington's alliance with Saudi, which has led a bloody offensive in Yemen.