Houthis strike Saudi airport with missiles and drones after Yemeni government attacks Sanaa runway to block Iranian flight

The Sanaa runway strike

Yemen's internationally recognised government claimed responsibility for striking the runway at Sanaa International Airport on Monday. The Ministry of Defence said the operation aimed to prevent an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation from landing. The delegation was returning from Tehran, where it had attended the funeral of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The government stated it had tried, without success, to persuade the delegation to travel on a national airline aircraft.

The terrorist Houthi militias, backed by the Iranian regime, prevented Yemeni national aircraft from landing at Sanaa airport, the capital, while insisting on allowing an Iranian plane to violate Yemeni territory; consequently, the airport runway was attacked.

The government subsequently ordered the closure of all airports in the country "until further notice", though it controls only part of Yemeni territory. Houthi media reported that the Iranian aircraft ultimately landed in the coastal city of Hodeida, which the rebels control.

Houthi retaliation on Abha

Hours later, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced a military operation against Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia using ballistic missiles and drones. He framed the attack as a response to what he called a "criminal Saudi aggression" against Sanaa airport, holding Riyadh responsible despite the Yemeni government's claim of authorship.

The Yemeni armed forces have carried out a military operation against Abha International Airport with ballistic missiles and drones.

Saudi defence spokesman Turki al-Maliki confirmed that air defences intercepted a ballistic missile threat launched by "the terrorist Houthi militia" toward the southern region. This is the first direct Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia since a UN-mediated truce took effect in 2022.

Airspace warnings and airline response

Saree warned all airlines to avoid Saudi airspace until the "blockade" of Sanaa International Airport is lifted. He also expressed gratitude to Iran for facilitating humanitarian flights to and from Sanaa. KLM said it is examining alternative routes for two planned flights from India to Amsterdam that normally traverse Saudi airspace.

KLM is closely monitoring developments in the region. The safety of our passengers and crew always has the highest priority. We are currently assessing the possible impact on our network.

International reactions at the UN

At an emergency UN Security Council meeting requested by the Yemeni government, US deputy representative Tammy Bruce condemned Iran's actions. She stated that Iranian flights had recently landed in Yemen carrying Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including drone and missile specialists, under the pretext of attending Khamenei's funeral ceremonies. Bruce said this violated UN Security Council Resolution 2216, which prohibits arms transfers and technical assistance to the Houthis.

The deliberate disregard of the Islamic Republic of Iran for Yemen's sovereignty and for the collective decisions of this Council is simply unacceptable.

The French ambassador added that by landing aircraft at Sanaa and Hodeida airports without the consent of Yemen's legitimate authorities, Iran had violated international law. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the Sanaa airport attack as "a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter, as well as an affront to Yemen's national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

A fragile truce under strain

The exchange marks the most serious escalation between the parties in several years and threatens the UN-mediated ceasefire in place since April 2022. The war, which began in 2014, has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. A Saudi-led coalition has backed Yemeni authorities and controlled Yemeni airspace for over a decade, requiring prior authorisation for any aircraft entering the country. The Houthis had already accused Riyadh in early July of attempting to attack an Iranian plane that landed in Sanaa, and had threatened to strike Saudi airports and strategic infrastructure. The escalation also unfolds amid rising regional tensions following the resumption of hostilities between the United States and Iran.