Escalation in Yemen as Houthi Rebels Target Saudi Airport

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport on Monday. This action followed the airstrikes by Saudi Arabia earlier in the day, which hit Sanaa International Airport. Although no casualties were reported, these attacks mark the most significant escalation since a Saudi-led coalition targeted Houthi-controlled areas years ago. Saudi Arabian officials have not yet commented on the airstrikes in Yemen.

In a video statement on Telegram, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree warned airlines to avoid flying through Saudi airspace. He emphasized that these warnings would remain until the blockade on Sanaa International Airport is lifted. The internationally recognized Yemeni government previously stated that the airstrikes aimed to prevent an Iranian plane from landing.

The Houthis promised to retaliate for the airstrike, marked as the first major escalation after a period of relative calm. The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting on Monday to address these developments, expressing concerns about escalating tensions. Khaled Khiari, U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs, urged all parties to engage constructively in U.N.-led negotiations.

For several years, a Saudi-led coalition based in Yemen’s south has fought the Houthis in the north. According to Saree on Telegram earlier, Saudi Arabia’s actions signal the end of a phase of ‘de-escalation’. He vowed not to let this ‘aggression’ go unanswered. The strikes in Sanaa aimed at preventing humanitarian flights carrying patients and stranded individuals from accessing the airport.

Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis took over the capital, Sanaa, and much of the northern part of Yemen, forcing the government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition, which includes the United Arab Emirates, intervened the following year to try to restore the government. Earlier this year, tensions between U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE rose as their partnership in the Yemen war broke down, leading to the UAE’s withdrawal.

Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, the official spokesperson of the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, stated Monday evening on X that air defenses managed to address the ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward the southern region. He provided no further details.

The recent attack on Sanaa Airport followed tensions that intensified earlier in the month. The Houthis accused Saudi planes of violating their airspace to prevent an Iranian plane from taking a Houthi delegation to Tehran for the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Yemeni Defense Minister Gen. Taher al-Aqili posted on X about the strike on the airport’s runway to prevent the return of the Iranian plane carrying the Houthi delegation from the funeral.

In a pre-strike video statement, al-Aqili cautioned against Iranian aircraft infiltrating Yemeni airspace. He declared that patience had run out and warned of appropriate responses to such acts. The Houthis later stated that the plane had been diverted to Hodeida Airport.

Footage from the Houthi-controlled al-Masirah broadcaster appeared to capture a missile striking a runway at Sanaa airport with a loud explosion. In response, the southern government announced the closure of all Yemeni airports until further notice, with immediate effect. The Yemeni defense ministry ordered the evacuation of the airport and its surrounding areas.

Rashad al-Alimi, who heads Yemen’s ruling Presidential Leadership Council, mentioned that Iran had requested a flight by Iranian airline Mahan Air from Tehran to Sanaa to return the Houthi delegation. The council denied the request, citing governance frameworks for civil aviation.

Hans Grundberg, the U.N.’s special envoy for Yemen, released a statement that his office is monitoring the developments in Yemeni airspace and is concerned about further escalation risks. He urged involved parties to dialogue to maintain the ‘relative calm Yemen has experienced since 2022’. Houthi-controlled areas last experienced attacks by the Saudi-led coalition before a U.N.-brokered truce in 2022.