By Kimberly White l Published: July 13, 2026 l Time: 11:30 UTC
SANAA, Yemen — Tensions in Yemen escalated sharply on Monday after the country's internationally recognized government confirmed it had targeted the runway at Sanaa International Airport in an effort to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing. The incident prompted the Iran-backed Houthi movement to accuse Saudi Arabia of carrying out the strike, raising fears that a fragile years-long truce could begin to unravel.
According to Yemen's Ministry of Defence, government forces launched the operation after concluding that diplomatic efforts to stop what officials described as repeated violations of Yemeni airspace by Iranian aircraft had failed. Military officials said the strike specifically targeted the airport runway to block the incoming aircraft, which they alleged was attempting to land in Houthi-controlled territory.
Despite the operation, a spokesperson for Yemen's armed forces later confirmed that the Iranian aircraft avoided Sanaa and landed safely at Hodeidah Airport, another facility under Houthi control along Yemen's western coast.
The Houthi movement, which controls Yemen's capital, Sanaa, condemned the incident and blamed Saudi Arabia for what it described as an act of "blatant aggression." Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned that the attack had effectively ended a period of de-escalation between the group and Saudi Arabia, vowing that the strike "would not go unanswered.
Saudi Arabia had not publicly responded to the accusations at the time of publication. Riyadh has supported Yemen's internationally recognized government for years as part of a regional coalition opposing the Houthis, but violence between the two sides had significantly declined following a United Nations-brokered truce reached in 2022.
In response to Monday's developments, Yemen's General Authority of Civil Aviation announced the closure of all airports under government control until further notice, citing security concerns and the heightened military situation. The decision is expected to disrupt civilian travel and humanitarian operations already strained by more than a decade of conflict.
Adding to the tensions, Yemen's Information Minister Moammar bin Mutahar Al-Eryani accused the Houthis of detaining an aircraft belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at Sanaa Airport, along with its pilot and co-pilot. Independent confirmation of the allegation was not immediately available.
Yemen's Defence Minister also accused Iran of repeatedly violating Yemeni airspace and warned that any future aircraft deemed hostile would be confronted "by all available means." Officials placed responsibility on Tehran for any further escalation resulting from such flights.
The latest confrontation comes amid increasing regional instability linked to broader tensions involving Iran and ongoing conflicts across the Middle East. Analysts warn that renewed hostilities in Yemen could jeopardize the relative calm maintained since the 2022 truce and deepen one of the world's longest-running humanitarian crises.
Yemen has remained divided since the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014, forcing the internationally recognized government to relocate to Aden. Years of civil war, foreign intervention, and proxy conflict have devastated the country's infrastructure and displaced millions of people, while diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting political settlement continue to face significant challenges.