Saudi Airstrikes Target Sanaa Airport Runways as Iranian Plane Carrying Houthi Delegation Approaches

Aden (Yemen), July 2026 : Tensions in Yemen escalated sharply on Monday after Houthi-run media claimed that Saudi Arabia carried out a series of airstrikes targeting the runways of Sanaa International Airport, prompting Yemeni authorities aligned with the Houthis to order the immediate evacuation of the airport.

According to Houthi-operated Al-Masirah TV, the strikes occurred as an Iranian passenger aircraft carrying a senior Houthi delegation was approaching the Houthi-controlled airport from Tehran. The reported attack has further heightened regional tensions, although there was no immediate confirmation or response from Saudi Arabia regarding the alleged operation.

The extent of the damage to the airport infrastructure remains unclear, and independent verification of the reported airstrikes was not immediately available. Emergency measures were initiated at the airport following the incident, with Yemeni armed forces urging all personnel and civilians to leave the premises as a precaution.

Earlier in the day, Yemen’s Defence Minister Taher Al-Aqili had warned that the country’s armed forces would respond to any aircraft deemed hostile if it entered Yemeni airspace. Speaking in a televised address, he stressed that Yemen would defend its sovereignty against any perceived aerial threats.

The Iranian aircraft at the centre of the controversy had previously landed at Sanaa International Airport on July 4, transporting more than 200 Yemeni patients and stranded passengers from Tehran. After completing the humanitarian mission, the same aircraft flew back to Iran carrying a senior Houthi delegation that had travelled to attend the funeral ceremonies of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

The delegation reportedly insisted on returning to Yemen aboard the same Iranian aircraft, rejecting a proposal from Yemen’s internationally recognised government to facilitate their return on an alternative aircraft operating under government supervision. The disagreement over the flight had already become a source of tension in recent days.

Earlier this month, the Houthis claimed that their air defence systems intercepted Saudi military aircraft allegedly attempting to prevent the Iranian civilian plane from landing in Sanaa. The group accused Saudi Arabia of violating Yemeni airspace and obstructing humanitarian travel.

On Sunday, ahead of the scheduled return flight, the Houthis publicly warned both Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognised government against attempting to intercept the Iranian aircraft, stating that any such move would have consequences.

The latest developments come amid an intensified mobilisation campaign by the Houthis across territories under their control. The group has organised tribal gatherings, military parades and public demonstrations while renewing calls for an end to what it describes as the Saudi-led blockade of Yemen.

Yemen has remained embroiled in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa. The following year, a Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in support of the internationally recognised Yemeni government. More than a decade later, despite periods of relative calm and diplomatic efforts, the conflict continues to fuel regional instability, with renewed military incidents threatening to derail fragile peace efforts.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)