Yemen's Houthi rebels have escalated their warnings to Saudi Arabia, threatening military action after alleging Saudi fighter jets violated Yemeni airspace to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing in Sanaa. According to reports from Al Jazeera and Devdiscourse, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree issued the warning in a televised statement on Friday, stating that Saudi warplanes entered Yemeni airspace early on Friday as an Iranian passenger plane carrying more than 200 civilians, including stranded, wounded and sick Yemenis, was approaching Sanaa International Airport. Saree alleged that Houthi air defence units responded by firing several surface-to-air missiles, forcing the Saudi aircraft to withdraw without preventing the landing. The Houthis warned that "We warn the criminal Saudi enemy against repeating any attempt to violate our airspace or any aggression targeting our country," with such actions to be met with "a comprehensive response targeting its airports and vital interests on land and sea."
The latest escalation stems from specific allegations that Saudi Arabia permitted military operations through its territory to interfere with civilian air traffic. As reported by Al Jazeera and Devdiscourse, the Houthis allege that Saudi Arabia had permitted hostile military operations through its territory, marking a sharp escalation in tensions. However, Saudi Arabia has not immediately commented on the allegations, which could not be independently verified. The kingdom has repeatedly stated its commitment to preventing wider regional conflict and pursuing efforts to reduce tensions, though it has not specifically addressed these latest allegations regarding the alleged airspace violation.
The Houthis have renewed accusations that Yemen has remained under a Saudi- and US-backed blockade for nearly 11 years, vowing to take "all legitimate steps" to end restrictions on the country, including control over Sanaa International Airport. According to Al Jazeera and Devdiscourse, Saree said the flight was part of efforts to ease restrictions on Sanaa airport and that flights between Tehran and Sanaa would continue despite what the group described as attempts to disrupt them. The statement called on Yemenis to maintain "general mobilisation and combat readiness" and said Houthi forces were prepared to carry out any directives issued by the group's leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. Earlier reports from Houthi-run Al Masirah TV cited the arrival of an Iranian aircraft tasked with ferrying an official delegation to Tehran for the funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The latest threat comes despite a sharp decline in cross-border attacks since a UN-brokered truce took effect in 2022. Although Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have held intermittent negotiations aimed at ending Yemen's long-running conflict, no comprehensive peace agreement has been reached. Since late 2023, the Houthis have launched repeated missile and drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, saying the strikes are intended to support Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war. These attacks have drawn retaliatory strikes from the United States and its allies and have kept regional tensions elevated, adding to the broader security concerns in the Gulf region. In 2015, Saudi Arabia spearheaded a military coalition in Yemen following the Houthi seizure of Sanaa, with the Houthis subsequently demonstrating their offensive prowess by deploying missiles and drones against Saudi sites, particularly targeting crucial oil facilities and infrastructure.
