The latest
Yemen’s fragile truce faced its most serious test in years after the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing. Saudi-led coalition forces, meanwhile, said they intercepted ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward southern Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has not confirmed responsibility for the airport strike, while U.N. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg warned against a new cycle of violence.
Details
- Sanaa airport strike: The Houthis claimed Saudi Arabia targeted Sanaa International Airport in an attempt to stop an Iranian aircraft from landing in the Houthi-controlled capital.
- Houthi response: Military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted an airport in Abha, while the Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses intercepted ballistic missiles fired toward the kingdom’s south.
- Dispute over flights: The Houthis insist flights between Sanaa and Tehran are civilian, while Yemen’s internationally recognized government says they violate the country’s sovereignty. Regional and Western governments have long accused Iran of using air links to support the Houthis.
- U.N. warning: U.N. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg urged all parties to de-escalate, warning that renewed fighting would jeopardize the relative calm Yemen has experienced since 2022.
- Iran’s position: Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the reported strike on Sanaa airport as a violation of international law and Yemen’s sovereignty, while Iranian state media reported that an Iranian aircraft landed safely in Hodeidah.
Background
Yemen’s war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government. Although the U.N.-brokered truce that began in April 2022 formally expired, its core understandings have largely held, sharply reducing cross-border attacks. However, unresolved disputes over salaries, ports, airports, and political power-sharing have left the ceasefire fragile and vulnerable to renewed escalation.
What to watch
Attention will focus on whether military exchanges stop or expand, whether U.N. or regional mediation resumes, and how Saudi Arabia responds officially to the airport allegations and future Iranian flights to Yemen.
