Yemen’s Houthi terrorists accused Saudi Arabia on Friday evening of violating their airspace and threatened to attack the kingdom if what they called “aggression” continues.
AFP reported that Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group had “confronted” Saudi fighter jets after they allegedly tried to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at the international airport in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi
(Photo: Nathan Howard, AP)
“We warn the criminal Saudi enemy against any further attempt to violate our airspace or carry out any aggression,” Saree said in a recorded statement.
Any such action, he said, “will be met with a comprehensive response targeting its airports and vital interests on land and at sea.” He added that flights on the Sanaa-Tehran route would continue.
Earlier, the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah channel reported that the passenger plane was carrying 200 wounded and sick civilians. The Houthis said the aircraft was able to land and later took off for Tehran carrying an official delegation from the terrorist organization, expected to attend the funeral of Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 on the first day of Operation Roaring Lion.
Saudi Arabia led a yearslong bombing campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis after the rebels seized Sanaa in late 2014 and ousted Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Riyadh viewed the takeover as a direct threat to its security and regional influence. In 2015, the kingdom formed a military coalition of Arab states and launched a broad campaign that included thousands of airstrikes, an air and naval blockade and support for Yemeni government forces, seeking to halt the Houthis’ advance and restore the government to power.
Houthi protesters in Sanaa
(Photo: Mohammed Huwais/AFP)
Although the coalition prevented the Houthis from taking control of all of Yemen, it failed to defeat them. The Houthis continued to control northern Yemen and over the years launched missiles and drones toward Saudi cities, airports and oil facilities.
At the same time, the war caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, and the Saudi-led coalition faced harsh international criticism over harm to civilians and infrastructure.
Beginning in 2022, Saudi Arabia shifted its approach and began promoting direct contacts with the Houthis, including after Riyadh restored relations with Iran in 2023.
Since then, relative calm has largely held along the border, while Saudi Arabia has focused on efforts to advance a political settlement and support Yemen’s government through economic assistance, though a comprehensive peace agreement has not yet been reached.