Arabic version: الحوثيون يهددون المطارات السعودية بعد انتهاك مزعوم للمجال الجوي

Yemen’s Houthis have issued threats against Saudi Arabia, claiming they will target the kingdom’s airports and vital assets. The Iran-backed rebels accused Saudi Arabia of an airspace intrusion, following an incident involving alleged Saudi warplanes and an Iranian civilian aircraft.

According to Al Jazeera, Yemen’s armed forces said they confronted Saudi “warplanes” that allegedly attempted to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree warned Saudi Arabia against further violations, stating such actions would lead to a comprehensive response targeting its airports and vital interests on land and sea.

Saree claimed the Saudi warplanes attempted to infiltrate Houthi-controlled airspace at 5:20am (02:20 GMT), just as the Iranian aircraft was set to land with more than 200 stranded, wounded and sick citizens. He noted that flights between Sanaa and Tehran would continue despite any “possible consequences.”

The Houthi media previously reported that the aircraft successfully landed and returned to Tehran, carrying a Houthi delegation attending the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in United States-Israeli strikes that triggered the Iran war.

The latest threats from the Houthis come after a period of relative calm, following a significant prisoner exchange agreement with the Saudi-backed government earlier this year. The conflict, ongoing since 2015, has resulted in a devastating humanitarian crisis in Yemen, with the Houthis controlling the capital and much of the north, while the internationally recognized government holds the south. Fighting has largely been at a standstill since a United Nations-negotiated truce in 2022.