The Houthi movement is pointing the finger at Saudi Arabia following airstrikes Monday on Sanaa International Airport, promising consequences while Yemen’s internationally recognized government offered a very different account of events.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree was quick to respond once initial reports surfaced, declaring: “In an unjust aggression, the Saudi enemy carried out several airstrikes against Sanaa International Airport.”
Saree went on to say the strikes had effectively ended what had been a period of de-escalation between the two sides, and that Saudi Arabia would be held accountable for the alleged attack.
A separate, more pointed warning came from senior Houthi official Hazem al-Assad, who directed his message squarely at the Saudi capital. “The Saudi regime will discover that it has dug its own grave,” al-Assad said.
Saudi Arabia’s government communications office had not issued any response to the allegations at the time of reporting.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government told a different story. Its Defense Ministry stated earlier Monday that its armed forces had struck the Sanaa airport runway specifically to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing there. A military spokesman added that the plane ultimately touched down safely at Hodeidah airport, a facility under Houthi control.
In a further move, the aviation authority of Yemen’s internationally recognized government announced the closure of all airports across the country to air traffic, effective immediately and until further notice.
The episode marks a significant escalation. Saudi Arabia had largely stepped back from direct confrontation with the Houthis since 2022, following years of Saudi-led airstrikes throughout Yemen and retaliatory Houthi attacks targeting Saudi oil infrastructure.
