Yemen’s Houthis threaten Saudi Arabia after alleged airspace intrusion

Houthi forces say they confronted Saudi ‘warplanes’ that ⁠allegedly attempted to ⁠prevent an Iranian civilian ​aircraft from landing at Sanaa.

Houthis in Yemen have threatened to attack Saudi Arabia’s airports and vital assets as the Iran-backed rebels accused the kingdom of an airspace intrusion.

The Yemeni rebels on Friday said they confronted Saudi “warplanes” that ⁠⁠allegedly attempted to ⁠⁠prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport.

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“We warn the criminal Saudi enemy against repeating any attempt to violate our airspace or any aggression targeting our country. Such actions will be met with a comprehensive response targeting its airports and vital interests on land and sea,” Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement.

Saree said the rebels thwarted an attempt by Saudi warplanes to “infiltrate” Houthi-controlled airspace at 5:20am (02:20 GMT) in a bid “to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft carrying more than 200 stranded, wounded and sick citizens” from landing in Sanaa.

Flights between Sanaa and Tehran ‌‌will continue despite any “possible consequences,” he ‌‌added.

Houthi media earlier reported that the aircraft successfully landed and headed back to Tehran carrying the Houthi delegation to attend the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in United States-Israeli strikes that triggered the Iran war.

The Houthis said fighters were ready for “any options” and that “their fingers are on the trigger to implement directives aimed at breaking the Saudi-American siege”, without providing further details.

The renewed threats came months after the Saudi-backed government and the Houthis agreed to their largest prisoner exchange, confirmed in May, which included seven Saudis.

The Houthis have been at war with Yemen’s government since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and triggered a major humanitarian crisis.

The rebels control the capital, Sanaa, and much of the north, including most population centres, while the internationally -recognised government holds much of the south.

Fighting between them has largely been frozen since a United Nations-negotiated truce in 2022.