Key facts
- Yemen's Vice President Abdullah al-Alimi stated Iranian flights to Sanaa violate the country's sovereignty.
- Al-Alimi alleged Iranian planes carried equipment for the Houthi movement, calling it a regional and international threat.
- Houthi rebels claim Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa airport, leading them to vow retaliation and break a four-year truce.
- Yemen's armed forces targeted Sanaa airport's runway to prevent an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation and patients from landing.
- The Iranian plane ultimately landed at Hodeidah airport.
- The Houthis fired missiles at Saudi Arabia in response to the alleged airport strikes.
Yemen's Vice President Abdullah al-Alimi has declared Iranian flights to and from Sanaa an unacceptable violation of the country's sovereignty, alleging the planes carried equipment for the Houthi movement and posed a regional and international threat. This statement comes after Houthi rebels claimed Saudi Arabia conducted airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport, prompting them to vow retaliation and declare an end to a de-escalation phase.
Yemen's armed forces, aligned with the Houthis, stated they targeted the airport's runway to prevent an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation and over 200 patients from landing. The plane eventually landed at Hodeidah airport. In response to the alleged Saudi strikes, the Houthis fired missiles at Saudi Arabia, breaking a four-year truce.
Al-Alimi, speaking in an interview, described the Houthis as a threat to global security and the global economy due to their actions in Red Sea waterways. He noted that Iran was using the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as cover to deliver equipment and experts to the Houthis. He also stated that without Saudi support, his government would struggle to meet salary obligations due to Houthi targeting of oil export facilities.
An emergency session of the UN Security Council was convened, with calls for both sides to de-escalate. The head of the Houthi national delegation asserted the legitimacy of defending their homeland. Yemen's Information Minister, Moammar al-Eryani, accused the Houthis of detaining an International Committee of the Red Cross aircraft.