Yemen’s Houthi movement announced missile strikes on Abha airport in south-western Saudi Arabia on Monday, citing retaliation for air attacks on Sanaa’s international airport attributed to the Saudi-led coalition.
The Saudi-led coalition, supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government, confirmed its air defenses neutralized the incoming projectiles, reporting no casualties or damage. This exchange marks the most severe escalation since a de facto truce between the warring factions went into effect four years ago.
The Houthis, who control north-western Yemen and receive Iranian backing, earlier condemned the Sanaa airport strikes as “blatant aggression,” alleging damage to the facility’s runway. Yemen’s government, headquartered in Aden, claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating they aimed to block an Iranian aircraft from landing amid disputes over airspace permissions.
The targeted Iranian plane, carrying a Houthi delegation returning from Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral, was diverted to Hudaydah, a Red Sea port city approximately 150km (93 miles) south-west of Sanaa. The coalition has maintained airspace control for over a decade, citing requests from Yemen’s government.
Social media footage captured smoke plumes over Sanaa’s airport after the strikes, with Houthi media reporting both departure and landing runways were damaged. The conflict, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa, has killed over 150,000 people and displaced millions, triggering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, as per UN assessments.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree accused Saudi Arabia of ending a de-escalation phase, warning that the missile response would not be “unanswered or unpunished.” The coalition has yet to issue further details on the Sanaa strike’s aftermath.
