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Saudi airstrikes hit Sanaa Airport as Yemeni authorities sought to block an alleged Iranian flight. The incident has reignited tensions, with the Houthis threatening retaliation and officials warning against airspace violations.
Cairo,UPDATED: Jul 13, 2026 18:30 IST
Saudi airstrikes hit Sanaa Airport on Monday, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said, as the internationally recognised Yemeni government said the strikes were aimed at stopping an Iranian plane from landing there.
The incident marked a sharp exchange between the two sides, with the Houthis accusing Saudi Arabia of ending a period of de-escalation and vowing a response, while Yemeni officials said they would confront any aircraft they said was violating the country's airspace.
For years, a Saudi-led coalition based in southern Yemen, along with the internationally recognised government, has been fighting the Houthis in the north. Saudi Arabia did not immediately acknowledge carrying out the airstrikes, and its officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gen Taher al-Aqili, Yemen's defence minister, said on X that the runway at Sanaa airport was struck to stop a plane carrying a Houthi delegation after attending what he said was the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a video statement released shortly before the strikes, al-Aqili warned against infiltration of Yemeni airspace by Iranian aircraft. “At this moment, we say that our patience has run out. Accordingly, we will respond appropriately to this treacherous and brutal act, and we will confront and deal with the hostile aircraft violating Yemeni airspace and sovereignty by all available means,” he said.
The Houthis said the plane changed its route and landed at Hodeida Airport. There were no immediate reports of damage at Sanaa airport. A Houthi official, Brig Gen Yahya Saree, said on Telegram that Saudi Arabia had launched the airstrikes in what he called an “end to the de-escalation phase”. He warned that “this aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished.”
The Yemeni defence ministry issued orders to evacuate the airport and nearby areas. Rashad al-Alimi, who heads Yemen's ruling Presidential Leadership Council, said Iran had requested permission to operate a flight by Mahan Air from Tehran to Sanaa to bring back the Houthi delegation. The developments brought fresh tension as both sides traded warnings over the attempted flight and the strikes on the airport.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jul 13, 2026 18:30 IST
