ADEN, Yemen 

Yemen’s National Defense Council said Saturday that the Houthis are defined as a terror organization and strict measures will be taken against people and entities that support the rebel group.

The Council decided on the move in accordance with its decision no. 1 dated 2022, according to state news agency, Saba.

It added that the decision was taken in accordance with international and regional conventions adopted by Yemen, as well as the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Penal Code.

The National Defense Council, chaired by the President of the Yemeni Presidential Council, Rashad al-Alimi, is the largest defense and security authority in the country.

The Houthis have commented on the move.

Governor Mebhut bin Madi said Thursday that the Houthis attacked the Al-Dabba Port in Hadhramaut with two unmanned aerial vehicles.

In a written statement, the Houthis said: "We carried out the attack as a minor warning to prevent a ship attempting to loot crude oil from the Al-Dabba Port.”

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar