Labeling the Houthi rebels as terrorists would prolong Yemen’s war, not end it

There’s no quick or easy way to end Yemen’s six-year civil war — a brutal conflict between the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a range of forces lined up against them, most prominently, the country’s Saudi Arabia-backed government. There are, however, ways to prolong it, one of those being the Trump administration’s apparent decision to designate the Houthi movement as terrorists. Such a designation could precipitate what the United Nations describes as “the worst famine the world has seen in decades,” chill diplomatic efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement and push the Houthis closer to Iran’s leaders.